At SU, Francis Wingate, a vice president and treasurer, clomped to campus on snow shoes from Sherbourne Road, a two mile hike, to rally students to help him dig out the campus by shovel. Toggle the table of contents snow poured down everywhere from Mount LeConte, Tennessee (56 inches) to Syracuse, New York (43 inches). Thanks to Marie for sharing her memory of this historic storm. In 2020, that number jumped to 1,389, records, Syracuse nightlife: 5 areas to enjoy a night out of drinks and Armory Square. 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. New York Skies (Cheryl Costa) Photos; Special Editions. Most of the snow. The year 1966 began with arctic cold extending over the centlral interior and northwest of Canada. The way that the media communicated weather information was about to change. 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. During the blizzard of 1966, winds reportedly gusted to more than 60 mph and churned the falling snow into monstrous drifts dropping visibility to zero in the process. How Much Snow Did Syracuse Get In The Blizzard Of 1966? 2 January 22-23, 1966. OHA Administrative Offices It wasnt too long when my three year old son came home with only one boot on. Gov. He tackled history's biggest snowstorm in a snowplow, plowing around the campus for over five hours. Lake effect bands continued to impact northern Cayuga, Onondaga, Madison, Oswego, and Oneida counties even during the cyclonic portion of the event on January 30-31. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Fifty years ago, on Jan. 30, 1966, it began snowing. Was 1966 a cold year? . Blizzard of 1966 Syracuse, New York - YouTube Includes paid promotion Blizzard of 1966 Syracuse, New York 34,051 views Feb 18, 2007 The blizzard of 66 taken in Syracuse NY on an. Dodge. New York City bore the brunt of the storm, suffering extensive disruption. At both Cazenovia and Le Moyne Colleges, students performed a lot of the "housekeeping" duties on campus: cooking and cleaning while staffs were unable to make it to work. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. But those who remember it say nothing in the past 50 yearshas compared to the blizzard that hit the area in January 1966. Although Woodard, a Syracuse native, was accustomed to harsh winters, We never expected it to be like that., After the storm, neighbors came together to help dig out others. A full 26.9 inches dumped on NYC, the highest snowfall ever counted by government records. Snowfall totals were even more extreme on the southeast side of Lake Ontario. For more information about the New York Army National Guard, visit dmna.ny.gov or 1800goguard.com. Roseau "Certainty weather-wise, it could happen," Farfaglia said. The blizzard was particularly memorable for its long duration, as well as for its very heavy snowfall totals of 20 to 30 inches in some locations and wind gusts exceeding 70 mph at times. [1], On Monday, January 31, federal government employees in Washington were excused from reporting to work [5] and international airports were closed from Boston to Washington, D.C. 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. "I was out driving a plow on Euclid Avenue when I realized the telephone poles were on the wrong side of the street," said Vaughn, 57. Schools were closed for an entire week extremely rare for upstate New York. EN. During that epic blizzard, 20-30 inches of snow fell across the state. When the storm finally ended, my children went to our neighbors who lived directly behind us and played on their swing set. Below is the surface weather map valid at 12 a.m. on March 4th, 1966. "By Jan. 31, the flakes were averaging one-half to three-quarters of an inch in size. I would guess it was close to five feet off the ground. 315-428-1864 You have permission to edit this article. Newborn Livestock (CANL) ", "I remember I was 15 years old, there was no school [and] it was perfect," added Chittenango resident Rhoda Brown.. Saturday: 11 - 4, The Richard & Carolyn Wright Research Center, Military History Museum at the OnCenter War Memorial, Beneath the Surface: The Storied History of Onondaga Lake, Historic Hotel Syracuse Presentation & Tours. The blizzard cost the city of Syracuse an estimated $217,000 and added approximately 300 million gallons of water to the water supply. "Fargo, North Dakota Climate"https://climate.umn.edu/pdf/fargo_climate.pdf, by Vincent and Nancy Godon. February 1, 1966 is believed the first time the Syracuse Post-Standard ever missed a publication date, despite the best intentions of its staff. Which state gets the most snowfall per year? News Remembering The Big Flake-Out Of 1966. 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. When was the last blizzard in Syracuse New York? The storm disrupted all mail deliveries, as most Onondaga County mail is delivered from either Buffalo or Albany. Lawton and the other airmen were given official wing challenge coins by McCrink recognizing their service. Lake Wave Forecasts Up until that time, most local TV stations around the nation employed non-meteorologists to cover the weather. . Greatest Snowfall in One Season: 207.9 inches The greatest cumulative snow fall for Syracuse, New York. Four Central New York residents died of exposure, including an 18-year-old Baldwinsville man who was found dead under a tree after he left his parents' house to visit a girlfriend. Motels along the way were already jammed with stranded motorists, so he was forced to continue the trip -- which took 13 hours to complete. This article was published more than7 years ago. Known as The Storm of the Century, it started in the Gulf Coast with severe weather. 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. EN RU CN DE ES. And everyone who has lived through it has his or her own story to tell. Regional Weather Roundup By the time the blizzard ended on Tuesday, Feb. 1, more than 42 inches of snow had paralyzed the Salt City. These stories, chosen from the Post-Standard and the Herald Journal archives, illustrate how Central New Yorkers coped with this historic storm. We couldnt get out of our door because the snow covered our windows, Woodard said. Sykes recalled he had just started a local radio weather forecast in January 1966. Nelson Rockefeller issued snow removal equipment to Central New York to handle the mounting crises. One of the most severe blizzards on record to impact the Northern Plains occurred 50 years ago between March 2-5 of 1966. 40-60 mph winds piled up the dense, heavy snow in huge drifts, some as tall as two-story houses. So they strapped the man to my husband and he took him up to the ambulance.. And on February, 14, 1927, Mt. People had to survive for days before being dug out of their homes and we look back at some of the stories we heard. Everyone talked about it, Monroe said, we just couldnt get over how much snow there was. And Woodard declared, Im 87 years old and I still remember it., Capitolfest 17 programs an August weekend of buried cinema treasures, Syracuse Salt Company drills for the tasty crystals near Inner Harbor, Expansive Everson exhibit details Juan Cruzs artistic evolution, Syracuse New Times, All Times Publishing, LLC | Theme by MVP Themes, powered by Wordpress, Image provided by trendobjects via Thinkstock, Passings: Dan Elliott, Doug Moncrief, James Sparky Burgen, Over the Rainbow: 2019 Syracuse Pride Parade at the Inner Harbor (photos), Onondaga County Democratic Committee Chairs mission? The newspaper's employees showed up for work, many of them having to walk several miles to get there, the longest being copy desk chief Steve Mekeel who walked to work from North Syracuse. "I walked to work," said Fulton resident Robert LaRock. Remembering the Blizzard of 1966 and its eye-popping eight feet of snow, These teriyaki-inspired salmon bowls are sticky, sweet and savory, Baked chicken tostadas with guacamole are a fun, healthful dinner. "Massive Storm Eases; Death Toll Tops 200", Last edited on 26 February 2023, at 19:03, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of Regional Snowfall Index Category 4 winter storms, "What's the record for most snow in New York state history? [3] The death toll reached 201 by Wednesday, February 2, as the storm eased. diary entries she wrote during the . All rights reserved (About Us). By the time the blizzard was winding down, temperatures had dropped into the single digits. Syracuse, NY, tied its official record low of -26F on January 26. 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. A historic nor'easter brought blizzard conditions to New England, New Jersey and the New York City area at the beginning of February in 1978. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Fair Haven did not have official snowfall records at the time, but state troopers reported measuring 100 inches (250cm) of snow on the level, where none had been prior to the storm. 4 daysSyracuse, New York received a record snowfall of 42.3 inches (107 cm) which remained their heaviest storm on record, until the Blizzard of 1993. Some 42.3 inches of snow fell on Syracuse from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1, but most of it came down Jan. 30 and 31. She was 17 and lived in Syracuse's Tipp Hill neighborhood. The Blizzard of 66 is still talked about and written about to this day. 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. Current Weather All we could do was stay inside and watch it come down. The snow was to the top of the ranch houses. 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. A little over a year ago, I published my book about the Blizzard of '66. GF AFB Winter Matrix, CITY FORECASTS 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). My husband got a path made so we could get on top of the snow. Start for Free Read an issue on 19 Mar 1966 in Syracuse, New-York and find what was happening, who was there, and other important and exciting news from the times. What is the biggest recorded blizzard in New York? Thats just shy of 11 feet of snow, most of which is courtesy of the large body of water to its northwest: Lake Ontario. Syracuse, New York: 127.8 inches. Our home was warm and we had plenty of food so all was good.. "The snow came down so hard and so fast that we couldn't get the trucks out of the lot," said Roland Allen, now a news editor at the Herald-Journal who was then editing copy for The Post-Standard. A Lew Swenson photo, courtesy of the Onondaga Historical Association: South Salina Street, Syracuse, at the beginning of the Blizzard of 1966. Some streets couldnt be plowed right away because cars were stuck in the middle. Snowfall totals reached as high as 38 inches, with drifts 30 to 40 feet high in some locations. He said people heard about getting snow but didnt take it seriously until it hit. (For comparative purposes, Chicagos largest 24-hour snowfall is 23.0 inches on January 26-27, 1967.) 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. We lived off East Taft Road, about two miles from North Syracuse. Grand Forks. Since releasing the book, I've been invited to over thirty clubs and organizat P Patti 562 followers More information The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. "I was driving (a bus) into Fayetteville, we were crawling, and we went over a bridge where there was so much snow you didn't know you were on it," said Siegler, 72, a city resident who still drives part time for Syracuse and Oswego Motor Lines Inc. "There were times the snow in the road covered up my headlights.". According to The Post-Standard, there were several reports of babies being born outside hospitals and parachutes were dropped with food to stranded residents. One silver lining to all the snow is an estimated 300 million gallons of drinking water into Skaneateles Lake. This feature is a part of CNY Nostalgia, a section on syracuse.com. They made the rounds to get those people the help that they needed., Long after the storm, people could not shake the frozen memories. It was like taking a pillow and dumping it over the area for hours on end.". 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! Syracuse ranked No. She remembers seeing nothing but the thick white snow that covered the top of her mothers tall window. 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. March snowfall totaled 49.3 inches as of March 14 making March 1993 the snowiest on record at Syracuse breaking the old record of 41.4 inches set in 1932. ", Peg Helmke remembers a snow drift rising to 20 feet in front of her house, and being trapped indoors for three straight days. Across the southern prairies it was the coldest month since the record-breaking month of January 1950, and in the Yukon Territory this was the coldest month on record since 1917. 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. Syracuse received 43 of snow and Oswego over 100. What is the record snowfall in Syracuse NY? Local radio announcers lost their voice and their concentration as they read closing after closing on the air. The storm lasted from January 27 to January 31, 1966, a total of 4 days. This 1998 WTVH Channel 5 News episode of "Ron Remembers" hosted by Ron Curtis takes a look back at the monstrous 1966 blizzard that slammed parts of central New York with 8 feet of snow. For many, the Blizzard of 1966 is the storm that every other one is measured against. [4], New Market, Alabama, recorded a state record low of -27F on January 30. We had a two story home so we could go upstairs and get a good view of the surroundings. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Facebook Twitter Tumblr Share. Almost as memorable were the winds, gusting to as high as 60 miles an hour, creating snow drifts as high as two-story houses. 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. NWS Grand Forks, ND4797 Technology CircleGrand Forks, ND 58203-0600701-772-0720Comments? Indeed, a quarter-century after that four-day storm blasted Central New York -- dumping 42.3 inches of snow on Syracuse and a staggering 102 inches on lakefront Oswego County -- residents and weather experts alike still speak of it in reverent tones. The party will take place Jan. 31 from 2-5 p.m. at the CNY Arts Center at the Cayuga Community College campus in Fulton. Schools, businesses, and roads were closed for days. California Consumer Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information, California Consumer Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. -60 FHow cold does it get in North Dakota? I was a milk man at the time. 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]. He was the first truemeteorologist on air in our area. There were plenty of similar emergencies during the storm. Did North Dakota get 40 feet of snow in 1966? Accumulationsexceeding 30 inches extended west from Rochester to Buffalo. Saturday: 11 - 4, Sknoh Center/Gift Gallery There were plenty of instances of heroism -- Vaughn recalls how city firefighters took a pregnant Mountainview Avenue woman to the hospital by pulling her on a toboggan -- but police were also had to investigate several instances of looting. Fergus Falls 4 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. Heavy lake effect snows preceded the cyclonic storm southeast of Lake Ontario. He thought special attention was given to the trade area - "the money changers" and not the individual. Both Syracuse and Rome, N.Y., received over 40 inches. Fraternity men at SU, who were low on food, turned up at the War Memorial to swap an hour of shoveling for sandwiches. Temperatures on Jan. 26, three days before the blizzard began, dipped to a record low of minus 26 degrees. The worst of the Blizzard of '66 hit Upstate New York. A summary of the official Storm Data publication regarding this event can be found here: https://www.weather.gov/fgf/blizzardof66_stormdata, POPULAR PAGES While Sykes methodology was certainly rigorous and scientific, it is not directly comparable to official snowfall measuring practices utilized by the National Weather Service. 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. 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.".