In spite of some school closings, snow emergencies and pretty cold temperatures, you have to admit that this particular Ohio winter has been pretty mild.
Do you remember the Great Blizzard of 1978? Maybe you have fond memories of the frequent school closings. Maybe you recall having to shovel yourself out of your house. This particular blizzard was dire for many parts of the country and is commonly referred to as the worst recorded snow storm in Ohio history. Thousands of people were stranded, power outages were widespread, snow drifts covered cars and visibility was 0 during the snowfall. Consequently, it took several weeks—and even months in some parts of the state—for the snow from this massive storm to melt, making the winter of 1978 seem endless.
While the snow was already hitting other states days before, it began falling in northern Ohio on January 26, 1978, accompanied by extreme winds and low pressure.
Corey Balazowich/Flickr
Thousands of people were stranded in their cars and traffic was at a complete standstill. Gusts of winds even reached up to 80 mph.
cleveland.com/YouTube screenshot
The snow drifts continued on that Friday (January 27), burying cars, road signs and even some smaller buildings and homes. Several people were lost simply because they were buried beneath the snow in their vehicles.
cleveland.com/YouTube screenshot
In addition to the massive power outages and damages, more than 50 people in Ohio died in the blizzard. A federal emergency was declared, calling in the Ohio National Guard for assistance.
cleveland.com/YouTube screenshot
As you can imagine, it took several weeks (and even months) for the snow from this deadly storm to melt away. In fact, The National Weather Service reported that the last of the snow melted away on May 5th in northwest Ohio.
Richard Gillin/Flickr
For more information about this severe snow storm, watch the video below:
Corey Balazowich/Flickr
cleveland.com/YouTube screenshot
Richard Gillin/Flickr
Do you remember the blizzard of 1978 in Ohio? If so, share your memories with us!
For more intense winter memories in Ohio, check out our previous article: In 1994, Ohio Plunged Into An Arctic Freeze That Makes This Year’s Winter Look Downright Mild.
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