# Blizzard of 78, 35 years ago tomorrow!



## lawn king (Nov 21, 2004)

I was 16 years old, just shy of a drivers license. Now, after 20 years of commercial snow plowing, i have yet to see a storm that compares to that beast!


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

lawn king;1587017 said:


> I was 16 years old, just shy of a drivers license. Now, after 20 years of commercial snow plowing, i have yet to see a storm that compares to that beast!


OK,Blizzard of 77!Thumbs Up


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## captadamnj (Jan 20, 2004)

You may get your shot this weekend.


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## lawn king (Nov 21, 2004)

captadamnj;1587045 said:


> You may get your shot this weekend.


Now thats funny!!!!


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## ceptorman (Nov 30, 2011)

I just turned 15, stuck at home with parents. Have not seen another snow like it since.


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## JB1 (Dec 29, 2006)

Ahh the good ole days.


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## theholycow (Nov 29, 2002)

lawn king;1587017 said:


> i have yet to see a storm that compares to that beast!


Let's keep it that way.


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## grandview (Oct 9, 2005)

theholycow;1587531 said:


> Let's keep it that way.


they must of never had to work one like that!wesport


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## Maine_Train (Dec 16, 2009)

If I'd been back home in MA then, I'd probably have been doing the Emergency Management stuff I've done for most of my life. But the AF had me in Central NY until later that year, so I only saw news reports and then later heard stories from family and friends who were right in the middle of it. The part of New York where I was stationed was "snow country," but we didn't get anything compared to what was going on in NYC or back in my home area, 300 miles east of the base.



> The storm's power was made apparent by its sustained hurricane-force winds of approximately 86 mph (138 km/h) with gusts to 111 mph (179 km/h) and the formation of an eye-like structure in the middle of the storm. While a typical nor'easter brings steady snow for six to twelve hours, the Blizzard of '78 brought heavy snow for an unprecedented full 33 hours as it was blocked from heading into the North Atlantic by the strong Canadian high pressure area.


Northeastern United States blizzard of 1978


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## hedhunter9 (Nov 15, 2008)

Young and dumb and full of .. ummm "energy", 
We had just got a new Blazer 4X4 the week before the blizzard hit here in Indiana.
Had all of a 150 miles on it... (no plow then)
We did a lot of running for the neighborhood, and worked for the civil defense...
We picked up doctors/nurses. Ran Medicine to shut in's. etc...

We ran in a team of 3 trucks and a snowmoble... When the lead truck got stuck,
2nd truck pulled up and yanked him back... Sometimes the 3rd truck was needed..
The snowmoble sometimes would run the last short distance if needed..

We would stop by the police dept. and they would fill our gas tanks up.

Went home and slept for 6 hours, came back out and my road was up to the hood
in snow... All I could do was go forward till it got stopped, back up and move over some
and try again. Bunch of digging with a shovel as well. Took 2 hours to get the 3 houses down to the end of our street where Normandy had been plowed all night by a homeowner with his own truck..

Mckinley was kept partialy open thru most of the storm, but still had Firetrucks and bus's
stuck in places and they were almost covered up by drifts of snow 8 ft high...

Bitter cold and blowing wind made if very miserable.

The drifts in our back yard went to the roof in back.
My hunting dogs kennels were 6 foot high and they walked right over the top of the fence !

It was a very long and tireing week....!


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## basher (Nov 13, 2004)

Spent a large part of it in a parking lot welding the driver's side loader arm on a old Case construction king that was broken off from hitting a light post in a hospital parking lot. 

Good thing the ER was close for the operator, nobody wore belts operating equipment back then.


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## lawn king (Nov 21, 2004)

I bet that left a mark on the poor boy. I always wear my belt, running a cabover makes you think twice about not wearing one! Im dreading fridays storm, 1 - 2' of snow!


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## Bandit (Jan 5, 2005)

I had a 1/2 ton Ford with really oversize tires and a 7 1/2 ft Meyer plow . 
I was working that day for friends in Woburn that owned a truck garage , we filled my truck bed with old engine cores and I left late afternoon down Rt 128 , dodging stuck cars and driving down the island to get home and put on my plow .
I lived in an Appt. complex that also owned two other complexes in Framingham and Holliston . They left a note on my door asking if I could be a " back-up " for there 3 plows . 
They blew an engine in one , and a clutch , and tranny in there other two trucks as soon as the storm started . They asked me to just keep the fire lanes open at " Crestview " on Turner rd in Holliston until the storm is over . It is located at the top of a hill with an awesome view .
After hours of plowing the lanes , When we had made a pass , and looked back to see the area we just came through filled in level with the roofs of the cars , we gave up , on the way down the hill we picked up a guy walking , told us he had just skidded off the road and it was blocked , I offered to pull him out , He gave us a dumb look and an said " I work for the town , I just put one of our Big Michigan Loaders through the tennis court fence , I don't think You can pull it out .
Heading up the hill , we met a town plow out looking for him , they turned around and escorted us out to the main rd ( Rt 126 & Eliot St. ) to make sure we made it .
We came back after it stopped and cleared it out using my Commercial 36 " Bolins snow blower and 1/2 ton truck , We also did Parkview ( on Beaver st ) in Framingham the same way . ( Shovel into Blower , move car , Plow , and do the next space , with the residents helping and celebrating each car freed .
With a toast , No we didn't drink , but did accept the food we were offered 
Bob
Ps
I didn't pay rent for 15 months on my 2 bedroom luxury apartment . LOL
Pps
Except for a couple of Indian Owned stores gouging on prices ( that went OOB after the storm) , most stores and the larger supermarkets , were taking checks from everyone , and telling them not to worry as they were not going to deposit them till the storm was over , and they didn't.


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## hummer81 (Feb 1, 2010)

Great stories guys. I am hooked and I hope there is more to come. That puts MN 1991 blizzard seem like a dusting. I know it can be looked up but if anyone wants to post stats with there story for everyone that would be great.. I can even imagine the logistics of snow removal involved, especially in the 70's.


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## mass1589 (Jan 24, 2011)

i was not around for the blizzard of 78 but with buying all this equipment and trucks i say bring it on!! i cant wait to make some money finally! i think in todays world we are much better prepared and have much better equipment. it could be handled more efficiently


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## theholycow (Nov 29, 2002)

Bandit;1589043 said:


> Except for a couple of Indian Owned stores gouging on prices ( that went OOB after the storm) , most stores and the larger supermarkets , were taking checks from everyone , and telling them not to worry as they were not going to deposit them till the storm was over , and they didn't.


Thumbs Up


hummer81;1589073 said:


> I can even imagine the logistics of snow removal involved, especially in the 70's.


It is my understanding that they used bulldozers to push buried cars off the highway (regardless of damage to those cars!).



mass1589;1589096 said:


> i was not around for the blizzard of 78 but with buying all this equipment and trucks i say bring it on!! i cant wait to make some money finally! i think in todays world we are much better prepared and have much better equipment. it could be handled more efficiently


Snow removal technology was sufficient, it was weather forecasting, communications, and warning systems that were not...combined with people not taking it seriously.

Was googling for a photo of bulldozers pushing cars off the road, failed but found this:


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## 2006Sierra1500 (Dec 28, 2011)

Anyone else find tomorrows storm ironically similar?


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## john06duramax (Nov 27, 2012)

mass1589;1589096 said:


> i was not around for the blizzard of 78 but with buying all this equipment and trucks i say bring it on!! i cant wait to make some money finally! i think in todays world we are much better prepared and have much better equipment. it could be handled more efficiently


In CT we had a 28-30" storm in January of 2011, and I gotta tell ya, even with advanced equipment, we definitely didn't make any money that day. Sure you get paid more if you work it into your contract correctly, if its per push or event, but hell it just takes so damn long you end up just breaking even, if your lucky!


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## RJ lindblom (Sep 21, 2006)

That was a couple of weeks before I was born. Around here it doesn't sound like it will amount to anything. To all you facing this newest mother of a storm, be safe and good luck.


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