It wasnt too long when my three year old son came home with only one boot on. At Le Moyne College, Father Clarence Schubert, a Jesuit priest and doctor of philosophy, did something he never did before, or ever thought he would do, on February 1, 1966. The Blizzard of 1966 was a nor easter that impacted the northeastern United States and Eastern Canada from January 29-February 1 1966. About 160 students wound up spending the night in a Syracuse bus garage equipped with two toilets. Current Weather At Fargo, the visibility remained one quarter mile or less for over 30 consecutive hours from March 3-5, coinciding with strong northerly winds gusting frequently over 40 or 50 mph. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. We didnt have Doppler radar. Snowflakes were one-half to three-quarters of an inch in size, Sykes described, It was like taking a pillow and dumping the feathers over the area for hours.Several years later, when I attended SUNY Oswego, I heard thatsome residents jumped out of our third-story dormitory windows into the snow. In total, more than 42 inches fell on Syracuse, a record that would stand until 1993. Reader letters to Syracuse newspapers after the storm were a mix of appreciation for a job well done, and complaints about how things could have been handled better. Syracuse received 43 of snow and Oswego over 100. 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? The great majority of the county's citizens were handed a fairy tale.". The blizzard cost the city of Syracuse an estimated $217,000 and added approximately 300 million gallons of water to the water supply. We asked people to send us their stories and Marie Sturge was nice enough to submit her familys encounter with the storm: It was a Sunday and I cant remember if I went to church or not, but what I do remember is our friend who lived about two miles away came several times during the afternoon and evening to plow us out. I had a thought that the book would be of interest to Central New Yorkers (and beyond), but I never thought it would draw the attention that it has. 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. ", Share your stories of the Blizzard of '66 at 50th anniversary party in Fulton. How many inches of snow fell in the blizzard of 1966? For many, the Blizzard of 1966 is the storm that every other one is measured against. Langdon Posted on February 3, 2016. The guests were quartered on the second and third floors of the building, and slept in beds brought from Meachem School. Dodge. The snow was to the top of the ranch houses. 20 inchesThe blizzard of 1996 was one of the most severe to ever hit NYC, falling only an inch of snow behind the Great Blizzard of 1888. Assistant Postmaster Lawrence Ryan said be expected some out-of-county mail to begin arriving on February 2, but did not know how much. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1977 Press Photo Pedestrians in Downtown Syracuse on Snow Covered Salina Street at the best online prices at eBay! Shirley Woodard, 87, of Constantia and Nadine Monroe, 81, of Minoa were like many residents during the storm who were shut in their houses without electricity. In the 20th century in our area I dont think there has ever been one that has matched it, said Price. (Submitted photo | Onondaga Historical Association). The storm affected nearly 120 million people over an area of more than 550,000 square miles and caused $5 . During his long career, Siegler never experienced another storm that rivaled in ferocity the Blizzard of 1966, which hit its blinding peak in Central New York 25 years ago today. What was the worst blizzard in US history? Gov. The Syracuse Blizzard of 1966, dropped 42.3 inches of snow on the Central New York city over several days in January. Check the latest closings and delays for schools, business, and churches around CNY and the Mohawk Valley. 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.". Fergus Falls Ibuki, Japan, recorded the worlds greatest snow accumulation: 38.8 feet. And on February, 14, 1927, Mt. That's a long time," Farfaglia said. And we just waited for it to go away., The huge amount of snow, combined with 58 mph winds and temperatures that dipped to 26 below, meant that residents were unable to get out of their houses. In Syracuse, the city came to a halt after 42 inches of snow fell and winds gusted to 58 mph. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. This photo and many others which were taken by Bill and Ernest in the days following the storm are available in the North Dakota State Historical Society and NOAA/NWS archives. Which state gets the most snowfall per year? Snowiest cities, 2022-22 City Average snowfall to date 4 Binghamton, NY 85.7 5 Boulder, CO 85.5 6 Syracuse, NY 127.3 7 Grand Rapids, MI 77.3, It is located about 87 miles (140 km) east of Rochester, 150 miles (240 km) east of Buffalo, and 145 miles (230 km) west of, If you are planning a trip on the east coast of Sicily, one of the must-see is the city of Syracuse (Siracusa in Italian). See also What Was Invented In Syracuse? How long did the blizzard of 1966 last? News Remembering The Big Flake-Out Of 1966. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. During that epic blizzard, 20-30 inches of snow fell across the state. 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. In Syracuse, 42 inches of snow paralyzed the city, and 126 travelers (and one Siamese. A Lew Swenson photo, courtesy of the Onondaga Historical Association: South Salina Street, Syracuse, at the beginning of the Blizzard of 1966. Hospital food is a punchline. NEW! For additional stories about the Blizzard of 1966, check out these recent Grand Forks Herald articles - Main Article: https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/region/3957953-1966s-deadly-blizzard-was-monster, - Highlights:https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/region/3958101-highlights-1966-blizzard, A comparison of the Blizzard of March 1966 with the Blizzard of January 1996 is contained in the the NWS publcation. Questions? Photos from the Blizzard of 1966 at the bottom of this post. What day was the blizzard of 93? At Oswego, the storm lasted from January 27 to January 31, 1966, a total of 4days. The US average is 27.8 inches of snow per year. 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. For Grand Forks, the 17.0 inches on March 4 set a record for most snowfall during one calendar day, while the 27.8 inches for the blizzard as a whole still remains the heaviest event total snowfall on record in Grand Forks. They knew a storm was coming but not as much as we had., Unable to leave the studio, Price and eight other coworkers camped out overnight, finding any place they could to get a few hours of sleep. It began to snow late on Jan. 30 in Rome,and snow continued to fall through the next day. While Sykes methodology was certainly rigorous and scientific, it is not directly comparable to official snowfall measuring practices utilized by the National Weather Service. Was 1966 a cold year? snow poured down everywhere from Mount LeConte, Tennessee (56 inches) to Syracuse, New York (43 inches). What is the biggest recorded blizzard in New York? The driver drove his wife and daughter to the doctor, waited for them to finish before bringing them home. 2023, Charter Communications, all rights reserved. There were plenty of similar emergencies during the storm. We had a high kitchen window and when I looked up, there was my backyard neighbor on snow shoes waving to me with a big smile on his face. The daily snowfall totals for Southwest Oswego, as measured by Professor Robert Sykes Jr, are as follows. People had to survive for days before being dug out of their homes and we look back at some of the stories we heard. Fire Weather (Video: CNYCentral.com). There are a number of events across the affected area this week to commemorate the greatest snowstorm on record. Toggle the table of contents In total, more than 42 inches fell on Syracuse, a record that would stand until 1993. She was 17 and lived in Syracuse's Tipp Hill neighborhood. Thousands of travelers became stranded on roads and in airports. The anniversary of the blizzard that swept Syracuse in 1966 warrants recollection. The storm quickly gave him a test under fire since he was forced to make 100 live reports between Jan. 29 and Feb. 2. The worst snow event in North Dakota history occurred March 2nd, 3rd and 4th of 1966. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Cayuga County-area police blotter: Feb. 28, 2023, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Police: Cayuga County man held girlfriend, her children at residence for hours, Cayuga County-area police blotter: Feb. 24, 2023, Cayuga County-area cancellations, closings, delays for Tuesday, Feb. 28, Legends of Auburn: Saying thanks to the Woods family, Cayuga County property transfers: Feb. 26, 2023, Cayuga County-area police blotter: March 3, 2023, Sheriff: Drunk driver fled Cayuga County crash, returned to scene in different vehicle, Auburn's Tim Locastro off to hot start in spring training with New York Mets, 'I love Auburn': Lattimore running for mayor in sixth consecutive election, Scanlan, retired Auburn firefighter, running for Cayuga County clerk, Troopers seek tips on Bass Pro crossbow theft in Cayuga County, Cayuga County Republicans endorse slate of candidates for Auburn, county races, Step sisters: Auburn woman has emotional meeting on 'Today Show', Global race is on to improve EV range in the cold, Only eating during the day could add years to your life, new study says, Ford files patent to disable certain functions over missed payments, This is why you love listening to sad breakup songs. Weather stations with highest snowfall in the United States by state, 1985-2015. 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. There were several reports of babies born outside of hospitals. 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. During that epic blizzard, 20-30 inches of snow fell across the state. A few of the fatalities were from overexertion from shoveling snow, while other deaths occurred as a result of becoming disoriented while out in the treacherous blizzard conditions. Local radio announcers lost their voice and their concentration as they read closing after closing on the air. Weather History: Syracuse Blizzard of 1966 24,738 views Mar 24, 2012 81 Dislike Share Save HappyMario64 1.56K subscribers Between January 27th and the 31st, this historic blizzard dumped 8. 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. Over 120 people and a Siamese cat were welcomed into the War Memorial arenato take shelter. On January 2223 of 1966, a cyclone that preceded the Blizzard of '66, impacted western New York. He tackled history's biggest snowstorm in a snowplow, plowing around the campus for over five hours. Three winter stormsbrought snow up the Eastern Seaboard that month. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Heavy lake. The storm lasted from January 27 to January 31, 1966, a total of 4 days. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). In addition, tens of thousands of livestock perished in the storm. Although both Syracuse daily newspapers continued to publish throughout the chaos, a veteran editor remembers it was the only time in history that home delivery was temporarily impossible. When something like that happens, neighbors assist each other, Price said. Much of Romewas shut down with over 40 inches of snow and high drifts. This article was published more than7 years ago. But those who remember it say nothing in the past 50 yearshas compared to the blizzard that hit the area in January 1966. Paul Cloonan, of Oswego, compared the storms to veterans of wars arguing about whose war was tougher. I doubt whether my children remember the storm, they were three and five at the time. 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. The anniversary of the blizzard that swept Syracuse in 1966 warrants recollection. -60 FHow cold does it get in North Dakota? He said people heard about getting snow but didnt take it seriously until it hit. "People were sick of hearing about it, but they couldn't not listen.". "That's what made this storm so unique," said Jim Farfaglia, author of "Voices in the Storm: Stories from the Blizzard of '66. All rights reserved (About Us). Please try another search. By the time the storm ended it had crippled central and western New York. Food was dropped by parachute to residents stranded in rural areas.