The Great Blizzards of 1978

1978-02-04 to 1978-02-08 This blizzard was a Cat 4 for the Northeast Region that packed hurricane force winds,

record breaking snowfall and white out conditions. Heavy snow fell from northeastern

Maryland into Maine. Record snowfall smothered Long Island, Connecticut, Rhode Island

and Massachusetts. A small portion of Rhode Island reported over 50 inches of snow and

many schools and businesses across the area were closed for over a week. (Kocin and

Uccellini)

The Great Blizzard of 1978 (The Cleveland Superbomb)

1978-01-23 to 1978-01-28

This blizzard produced the second lowest atmospheric pressure ever recorded over the

contiguous U.S from a non-tropical system. The Upper Midwest Region felt the full extent of

the storm as a Cat 5 and the Ohio Valley Region experienced a Cat 3 storm. Indiana, Ohio

and Michigan all declared states of emergency and had widespread travel cessation. South

Bend, IN picked up 3 feet with many parts of southern Michigan buried in 2 feet. Heavy

snow accompanied by 55 mph winds produced 10 to 20 foot drifts across the area causing

many cities to completely shut down.

January 19-20, 1978

A strong Nor'easter developed off the Southeast Coast. It was the third snow

in a week for Virginia. Charlottesville got a foot of snow, with up to 30 inches

in the west central mountains of Virginia. East of the mountains saw 4 to 8

inches until you reached Richmond. Richmond received a devastating ice

storm causing major power disruptions and tree damage. Many small

buildings and roofs collapsed from the weight of the snow in the west. One

man was injured when a roof fell. One person died while shoveling snow.

The New England Blizzard of 1978 This dreadful storm stalled over

New England for more than a day, dropping up to 4 inches (10.2 cm) of snow

per hour. Boston, Mass. and several communities in Rhode Island were hit

hardest, but even New York City -- located some four hours south of Boston

-- felt the storm's effects. Meteorologists estimate snow totals between 1 and

3 feet (30.5 and 91.4 cm), with Boston's total accumulation of 27.1 inches

(68.8 cm) setting the city's single-storm record [source: NOAA]. Wind speeds

measured well over 100 mph (161 kph), causing severe visibility and drifting

problems. This storm was worse than most for two additional reasons. First,

it struck during a period of high tides, which led to some of the most severe

coastal flooding that region had ever seen. Second, it struck in the afternoon.

Since the morning had been clear, most people had gone to school and work

as usual. The timing of the storm left thousands of people stranded in their

cars on roads and highways throughout the area [source: Hurricanes-

blizzards-noreasters.com]. This contributed to the storm's high death rate;

more than 100 people died in Massachusetts and Rhode Island [source:

NOAA].

Great Blizzard of 1978 This article is about the blizzard in the central United States. For the storm which affected the northeastern United States that year, see Northeastern United States Blizzard of 1978.

Great Blizzard of 1978

Category 5 "Extreme" (RSI: 39.07)

Surface map on the morning of January 26, 1978.

Type Extratropical cyclone

Nor'easter

Blizzard

Winter storm

Formed January 24, 1978

Dissipated January 29, 1978

Lowest pressure 955.5 mb (28.22 inHg)

Maximum snowfall or ice

accretion

36 in (91 cm) South Bend, Indiana

At least 71 fatalities

Total fatalities Central United States, Eastern United

States, Eastern Canada

The Great Blizzard of 1978, also known as the White Hurricane,[1] was a historic winter storm that struck the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes regions from Wednesday, January 25 through Friday, January 27, 1978. The third lowest non-tropical atmospheric pressure ever recorded in the mainland United States occurred as the storm passed over Mount Clemens, Michigan, where the barometer fell to 956.0 mb (28.23 inHg) on January 26.[2]

Meteorological synopsis

Late on Tuesday, January 24, 1978 surface maps revealed a moisture-laden Gulf Low developing over the Southern United States, while a separate and unrelated low-pressure system was present over the Upper Midwest. In about 24 hours, the merger of the subtropical jet stream (containing a wind max of 130 knots) and the polar jet stream (containing a wind max of 110 knots) would lead the low-pressure system to undergo explosive cyclogenesis as it moved rapidly northward during the evening of January 25 (record low pressures were logged across parts of the South and Mid-Atlantic).[3] To be classified as undergoing explosive cyclogenesis, a storm's central pressure must drop at least 24 millibars, or an average of 1 millibar per hour, over a 24-hour period; the Great Blizzard dropped by a remarkable 40 millibars in that span of time.[3]

The storm initially began as rain, but quickly changed over to heavy snow during the pre-dawn hours (as arctic air deepened ahead of the storm) leading to frequent whiteouts and zero visibility during the day on Thursday, January 26. As the storm headed for Ohio, this resulted in a "storm of unprecedented magnitude," according to the National Weather Service, which categorized it as a rare severe blizzard, the most severe grade of winter storm. Particularly hard hit were the states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and southeastern Wisconsin where up to 40 inches (102 cm) of snow fell. Winds gusting up to 100 miles per hour (161 km/h) caused drifts that nearly buried some homes. Wind chill values reached −60 °F (−51 °C) across much of Ohio where 51 of the total 70 storm-related deaths occurred.[4]

Canada did not escape the wrath of the storm as blizzard conditions were common across southwestern Ontario. London, Ontario was paralyzed by (16 in) of snow and winds gusting to 128 kilometres per hour (80 mph).

Barometric pressure[

On Thursday, January 26, the third lowest atmospheric pressure recorded in the mainland United States, apart from a tropical system, occurred as the storm passed over Mount Clemens, Michigan. There the barometer fell to 956.0 mb (28.23 inHg).[2] Nearby Detroit, Michigan air pressure fell to 28.34 inches of mercury (960 mbar). At around that same time, the absolute low pressure for this storm was measured at Sarnia, in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, where the barometer bottomed out at 955.5 mb (28.22 inHg).[2] Toronto pressure fell to 28.40 inches, breaking its old record by 0.17.

The 956.0 mb (28.23 inHg) barometric pressure measurement recorded in Mount Clemens, Michigan was the third lowest non-tropical atmospheric pressure recorded in the mainland United States[5] and the lowest in the Central United States.[2] The lowest confirmed pressure for a non-tropical system in the continental United States had been set by a January 1913 Atlantic coast storm.[2] The lowest central pressure for the 1978 blizzard was 955.5 mb (28.22 inHg) measured in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.[2] On rare occasions, extra-tropical cyclones with central pressures below 28 inches of mercury or about 95 kPa (950 mb) have been recorded in Wiscasset, Maine (27.9") and Newfoundland (27.76").[6] In addition, the blizzard is the highest-ranking winter storm on the Regional Snowfall Index, with a maximum value of 39.07, and one of only twenty-six storms to rank as a Category 5 on the scale.[7]

Impact

The blizzard was the worst in Ohio history; 51 people died as a result of the storm. Over 5,000 members of the Ohio National Guard were called in to make numerous rescues. Police asked citizens who had four-wheel-drive vehicles or snowmobiles to transport doctors to the hospital. From January 26 to 27, the entire Ohio Turnpike was shut down for the first time ever.[8] The total effect on transportation in Ohio was described by Major General James C. Clem of the Ohio National Guard as comparable to a nuclear attack.[9] Michigan Governor William Milliken declared a state of emergency and called out the Michigan National Guard to aid stranded motorists and road crews. The Michigan State Police pronounced Traverse City, Michigan "unofficially closed" and warned area residents to stay home. WTCM radio staffer Marty Spaulding, who closed the bayfront location station the previous night at 11 pm was called to re-open it the next day at 6am as regular staffers could not get there due to impassable roads. Upon arriving after a 45-minute walk in waist deep snow from his home a mere 10 city blocks distant, he had to dig down "a foot" to put the key in the front door.[citation needed]

In Indiana on day two, just a half-hour after the arctic front blasted through, the Indianapolis International Airport was closed due to whiteout conditions. At 3 am, the blizzard produced peak winds of 55 mph. Temperatures dropped to zero that morning. Wind chills remained a bone-chilling 40 to 50 below zero nearly all day. The governor Otis R. (Doc) Bowen declared a snow emergency for the entire state the morning of the 26th. Snow drifts of 10 to 20 feet made travel virtually impossible, stranding an Amtrak train and thousands of vehicles and weary travelers. During the afternoon of the 26th, the Indiana State Police considered all Indiana roads closed.[10]

Classes at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio and the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana were canceled for the first time in the history of those universities; at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana (where 25 inches of snow fell) for the third time in its history; and, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio for the first time since the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. An inch or more, usually much more, of snow would remain on much of that particular area for nearly two months straight. The storm did much damage to the Ohio valley and to the Great Lakes.

In Brampton, Ontario (northwest of Toronto) on Thursday afternoon, school buses could not get through deep snow to the then-rural campus of Sheridan College to take students home. Neither could any other vehicles, so some community college students had to stay on campus overnight.

Quotes[edit]

C. R. Snider, National Weather Service Meteorologist in Ann Arbor, Michigan, said on January 30, 1978:

“ The most extensive and very nearly the most severe blizzard in Michigan history raged January 26, 1978 and

into part of Friday January 27. About 20 people died as a direct or indirect result of the storm, most due to

heart attacks or traffic accidents. At least one person died of exposure in a stranded automobile. Many were

hospitalized for exposure, mostly from homes that lost power and heat. About 100,000 cars were abandoned

on Michigan highways, most of them in the southeast part of the state.[3] ”

Snowfall totals

The following table displays selected U.S. snowfall totals during January 25–29, 1978:[3]

State City/location Amount (inches)

OH Dayton *12.2

MI Detroit 8.2

MI Flint 9.9

MI Grand Rapids 19.2

MI Houghton Lake *15.4

IN Indianapolis *15.5

IN South Bend 36.0

MI Lansing 19.3

MI Muskegon 27

MI Traverse City 22-28

IL Chicago 12-13

Note: * = Total data for a 24-hour period.

A Terrifying, Deadly Storm Struck Massachusetts In

1978… And No One Saw It Coming

The Blizzard of 1978. It was the most catastrophic storm to hit Massachusetts in over

200 years. For those who lived through it, no blizzard before or since has come close to

surpassing the Blizzard of ’78’s sheer brutality. Massachusetts was not prepared for the

force with which the storm struck, which resulted in unfathomable property damage and

tragic loss of life.

First, the vital statistics. The storm formed on the evening of February 5, 1978. It

officially ended a whole two days later, on February 7. Record snowfall and terrifying

wind speeds were recorded across all of New England, but Massachusetts was

particularly brutalized.

Just how much snow fell in Massachusetts? Too much. Boston received 27.1 inches,

which was a record at the time. The storm killed approximately 100 people in the

Northeast and injured around 4,500.

Wikimedia Commons

Why was this such a deadly storm for Massachusetts? Because people were simply not

prepared. The weather stations had forecasted heavy snow on the early morning of

February 5, and when people awoke to not even a single flake, most went to work and

school as usual. Weather forecasting technology in the 1970s was just beginning to

reach today’s level of accuracy, and much of the public was still skeptical of it. When

snow began falling heavily later in the day, no one had time to adequately prepare for

the wintry onslaught.

Wikimedia Commons

Due to the sudden nature of the storm and the poor alert systems in place, many

Massachusetts employees were actually stuck at their workplaces for several days.

Hundreds of people were trapped in their cars on major highways and roads. Fourteen

people actually died in their cars on 1-95 as snow piled high enough that exhaust fumes

from their cars could not escape. I-95 was eventually overrun with cross-country skiers

and snowmobiles searching for buried motorists. Over 3,500 cars were found

abandoned on major highways.

Wikimedia Commons

In many places, car travel was banned for a week following the storm. Thousands of

people throughout eastern Massachusetts were snowed into their homes. About 10,000

people were forced to move into emergency shelters and over 2,500 homes were

effectively destroyed. In Massachusetts, 54 people were killed by conditions related to

the blizzard. Many were electrocuted by falling wires, while some, including ten-year-old

Peter Gosselin of Uxbridge, simply disappeared into snow banks and were not found

until weeks later.

Flickr/Cliff

Because the storm hit during a new moon when the tides were unusually high, damage

along the Massachusetts coast was severe. Sea walls crumbled and roads were

flooded. The picture above was taken just before the storm began raging across

Massachusetts. Minot Light is about one mile from the shores of Cohasset and Scituate.

The lighthouse is 114 feet high, which means that the waves are crashing against it at

heights of at least 100 feet.