", "I remember I was 15 years old, there was no school [and] it was perfect," added Chittenango resident Rhoda Brown.. The February 1969 nor'easter was a severe winter storm that affected the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions of the United States between February 8 and February 10. Bob Sykes, a meteorology professor at the State University of New York at Oswego, reported a whopping 102.4 inches 8 feet of snow. The Blizzard of 1966 was a nor easter that impacted the northeastern United States and Eastern Canada from January 29-February 1 1966. Who gets more snow Syracuse or Rochester? The snow was to the top of the set, so they thought that was pretty neat. Please Contact Us. Fraternity men at SU, who were low on food, turned up at the War Memorial to swap an hour of shoveling for sandwiches. More than 300 people were killed, and schools were shut down for days in New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. NJ Burkett reports. 2 January 22-23, 1966. I remember having fun in the snow but also making a few dollars with a snow shovel. Oswego received 102.4 inches of snow during the storm. Five years later the Erie Canal, which ran through the village, was completed. Of course, back then, the plows werent equipped to plow that vast amount of snow. The coldest temperature ever recorded in North Dakota occurred in the same year as the highest North Dakota temperature, -60 F in Parshall on February 15, 1936. According to The Post-Standard, there were several reports of babies being born outside hospitals and parachutes were dropped with food to stranded residents. Beth Fitting, of Syracuse, wished to thank the men of the DPW for going "above and beyond the call of duty," and being hard at work while the rest of us "enjoyed a bit of an unexpected holiday. 42.3 inches Syracuse, New York received a record snowfall of 42.3 inches (107 cm) which remained their heaviest storm on record, until the Blizzard of 1993. Sorry, the location you searched for was not found. "We've had nothing else in this century of that magnitude. That was part of the work ethic of those days: to fulfill an obligation.. Dr. James F. Grant, an Oswego obstetrician who is now medical director for the Oswego County Department of Health, said a pregnant woman in false labor was taken to Oswego Hospital by a sheriff's deputy, who drove several miles in reverse because the snow was too deep in the road to turn around. I knew sooner or later, we would be dug out. EN RU CN DE ES. An intense "Colorado Low" weather system lifted into eastern South Dakota early on March 3, 1966, and slowly progressed into central Minnesota on March 4. Weather stations with highest snowfall in the United States by state, 1985-2015. ", M.D. It wasnt too long when my three year old son came home with only one boot on. ", "Heavy winds not only dumped a lot of snow, but drifted the snow. I dont remember being upset or feeling any anxiety. By the time the storm ended it had crippled central and western New York. Climate Graphs, SEASONAL His feet were at the base of my window. You can also check out other issues in The Syracuse Post Standard. 2019 Spring Times . All we could do was stay inside and watch it come down. On April 14-15, 1921, 75.8 inches of snow fell in Silver Lake, Colo., and that measurement still holds the U.S. record for most snow in a 24-hour period. The snow became so packed that even plows couldnt move it. The only thing that prevented that snowstorm from becoming a true blizzard like this infamous one of the very next weekend was the lack of high winds.[8]. Another thing I remember is I was doing dishes and felt a presence in front of me. You can cancel at any time. Several heart attacks also were blamed on storm-related stress. For more information about the New York Army National Guard, visit dmna.ny.gov or 1800goguard.com. Shortly after the Blizzard of 1993 the Herald-Journal asked for readers to answer which storm was worse (or better), '93 or '66. Dr. Jon Valdina, of Auburn, received the George D. Greenwood Award from the Seventh District Dental Society, part of the New York State Dental. One of the most severe blizzards on record to impact the Northern Plains occurred 50 years ago between March 2-5 of 1966. Lake Wave Forecasts All rights reserved (About Us). Several small business owners, like Corgys Grocery in my neighborhood, actually opened their doors and we were able to trudge through waist-deep snow to purchase necessities. As a 13-year-old living in Rome, N.Y., I experienced this storm firsthand. Looking for inspiration? I worked When this occurs, storms slow downand become stationary but continue to produce incredible amounts of snowfall. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Ironically, the storm happened over March 13th March 15th, the same days as a major winter storm is set to hit the Tri-State Area. Jim Fargagliawrote a book about the storm Voices of the Storm and he described how the snow was terrible but the wind made it even worse. Schools, businesses, and roads were closed for days. Syracuse, New York received a record snowfall of 42.3 inches (107 cm) which remained their heaviest storm on record, until the Blizzard of 1993. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Gov. Sykes recalled he had just started a local radio weather forecast in January 1966. Boston received a record 27.1 inches of snow and. US Dept of Commerce Unlike many of the "killer blizzards" which had previously occurred in the Northern Plains [Schoolhouse Blizzard, 11-12 Jan 1888; Armistice Day Blizzard, 11 Nov 1940; and Ides of March Blizzard, 14-15 Mar 1941], temperatures were relatively mild during much of this blizzard. This resulted in heavy snow, and with low pressure parked over northern New England,strong winds whipped the snow into high drifts. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Questions? The Atlantic moisture was greatly enhanced by moisture from Lake Ontario. The anniversary of the blizzard that swept Syracuse in 1966 warrants recollection. ", Peg Helmke remembers a snow drift rising to 20 feet in front of her house, and being trapped indoors for three straight days. But we couldnt find our car. The North American Blizzard of 2006 hit East Coast cities from Baltimore to Boston with enough winter weather to cancel school for days, but few places got more than the Big Apple. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. People [] One of the standouts in the year 2016 for Jim Teske and Bridge Street was when they took a look back at the blizzard of 1966. Although the storm involved a full day of shoveling, Monroe recalls how much fun everyone had with the tunnels that were built above her head in the snow. Statistics are from the National Weather Service. During this storm, the ABC affiliate in Syracuse (WNYS) brought in a retired Air Force meteorologist named Horace Stormy Meredith to provide weather updates and insight on the changing situation. A Lew Swenson photo, courtesy of the Onondaga Historical Association: South Salina Street, Syracuse, at the beginning of the Blizzard of 1966. This piece on Central New York's great blizzard originally ran in The Post-Standard of January 30, 1991: THE BLIZZARD NO ONE FORGETS; SNOW BLAST OF '66 STILL DEEP TOPIC 25 YEARS LATER, Leonard Siegler has spent 55 years as a professional bus driver, traveling from "one end of the country to the other.". Why does Syracuse get so much snow? The Blizzard of 1966 brought 13.8 inches of snow toWashington, but it was across much of central and western New York where weather history was made 50years ago this weekend. Following is a glimpse at how the blizzard unfolded. With cold enough temperatures, heavy snow and very strong winds often occur to the northwest of the track of the low pressure system, as was the case with this blizzard. Wednesday - Friday: 10 - 4 More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. What happened to Kristin OConnell in 1985? His vision was so obstructed that he couldn't immediately recognize he was off the road and into a field. What Is There To Do In Syracuse At Night? Snowfall. By the time the blizzard was winding down, temperatures had dropped into the single digits. NEW! [6], Heavy lake effect snow fell southeast of Lake on January 27, 28, and 29, before the heavy snows from the cyclone reached the area on January 30. Please subscribe to keep reading. Mostly having a lot of fun being able to walk over . ", "It culminated in an absolutely chaotic situation," said Robert Sykes, a retired Oswego State College earth science professor whose speciality is lake-effect snow. Others died from heart attacks while shoveling snow or pushing cars, or traffic accidents caused by slick roads. They made the rounds to get those people the help that they needed., Long after the storm, people could not shake the frozen memories. Snowfall totals reached as high as 38 inches, with drifts 30 to 40 feet high in some locations. On the morning of January 30th, 1966, snow began falling and did so almost continuously for the next 36 hours, finally ending on February 1st. FULTON, N.Y. -- The weekend blizzard was a miss for us, but that wasn't the case 50 years ago. What is the biggest recorded blizzard in New York? While we have seen our fair share of major snow storms in the past, some wonder on this 50th anniversary, what would happen if a blizzard like that struck again? 321 Montgomery Street 1966: The Blizzard of 1966. From the "Ron Remembers" VHS tape, Ron Curtis looks back on the Blizzard of 66. https://youtu.be/imXX7A8gCqE The Village of, If you commute to campus or live off campus as a third- or fourth-year student, the Office of Off-Campus and Commuter Services offers helpful information, The reason for the storminess and heavy rain in Upstate New York, meteorologists say, is that were caught between the massive heat dome out West, Street parking is enforced in city of Syracuse from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Plows were on the streets day and night, with one in particular driven by Father Clarence C. Schubert of Le Moyne College to help clear snow from campus. On January 22-23 of 1966, a cyclone that preceded the Blizzard of '66, impacted western New York. One hundred and twenty-six people (and a Siamese cat) spent the night of February 1 as guests of the community at the War Memorial. Leonard Siegler has spent 55 years as a professional bus driver, traveling from "one end of the country to the other." During his long career, Siegler never experienced another storm that rivaled. But to Sykes -- who was the first director of the Lake Ontario Environmental Laboratory at SUCO -- the storm thoroughly justified his earlier career decision that Central New York would make an ideal place to study big-time snow. Official storm totals include 89.5" at Mallory, Oswego County, 84" at Bennetts Bridge, Oswego County, and 80.7" at Camden, Oneida County. Folley, of Liverpool, believed that the news media had deceived the public by blowing the impact of the storm out of proportion. 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The Blizzard of 1966 was a nor' easter that impacted the northeastern United States and Eastern Canada from January 29-February 1, 1966. Assistant Postmaster Lawrence Ryan said be expected some out-of-county mail to begin arriving on February 2, but did not know how much. I believe it was on Friday when a grater came down the middle of the street to clear some snow so the snowplows could make it down. The year 1966 began with arctic cold extending over the centlral interior and northwest of Canada. EN. When combined with winds up to 70-miles-per-hour, gusting at time to 100-miles-per-hour, drifts were 30-40 feet high in some locations. Military Notes: Cayuga County airman helped clear Buffalo runways during blizzard. Christine Klik-Zalewski reads from the diary entries she wrote during the Blizzard of 1966. By JoAnn DeLauter. Retired former federal meteorologist and cooperative observer at Oswego, Elmer Loveridge, maintained a private weather station at his home on Ellen Street in Oswego after the Weather Bureau Office in Oswego was closed in the early 1950s.