The DU Lounge

Ritabert

(1,931 posts)

2. Great Blizzard of '78 in Massachusetts

Sun Dec 21, 2025, 11:57 AM

Sunday

If you didn't leave for home by noon you didn't get home. I got the last trolley out of Kenmore Square and walked the last 5 blocks into 50 mph winds. I called my husband and told him to get moving or he wasn't going to get home. He had a standard shift truck and kept driving even if it required shifting into neutral and racing the engine to keep the spark plugs and carburetor from icing up. He made it.

My brother-in-law had to abandon his car on 128 along with many others and hiked out to a church which was taking people in. He was there for days. Luckily we didn't lose power.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

6 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

yorkster True Dough PuraVidaDreamin intheflow Eugene electric_blue68

76 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Worst snow storm you've experienced? [View all] True Dough Sunday OP

This one, I think. 2020. 40 inches? (pics) LuckyCharms Sunday #1

Looks like a whole lot of exertion True Dough Sunday #5

The worst part was.... LuckyCharms Sunday #7

Great Blizzard of '78 in Massachusetts Ritabert Sunday #2

Wow. Just saw yours after finishing mine yorkster Sunday #4

We got 4 feet in a Boston suburb Ritabert Sunday #11

I remember the sinking of the SS Peter Stuyvestant during the blizzard Ritabert Sunday #18

I had forgotten about that. . yorkster Sunday #24

I hear they left it there on the bottom. Ritabert Sunday #32

It was the day of my father's memorial service. intheflow Sunday #35

The Pike was just very windy and the snow kept blowing up onto the engine Ritabert Sunday #45

The whole North East got clobbered with that one. The '77-'78 winters are what drove me to Florida...nt mitch96 Sunday #48

LOL! I hear you. Ritabert Sunday #50

Boston: Our side street was snowed in for more than a week. Eugene Sunday #52

I remember it well. We took a sled to the market which was a mile away. Ritabert Monday #64

Blizzard of 78. Was able to x-country ski yorkster Sunday #3

We used a sled to walk to the supermarket and see what food we could get. Ritabert Sunday #13

As a skier the "worst" storms are the ones that end with freezing rain or GreatGazoo Sunday #6

Chicago, 1967 CanonRay Sunday #8

See my post #27 (n/t) PJMcK Sunday #29

I was 9, our house was near Midway Airport. Martin Eden Sunday #36

Me too. We jumped off the roof into snowdrifts. Demobrat 15 hrs ago #76

New York City metro area blizzard, 1996 Rocknation Sunday #9

I lived in Utica, NY PoindexterOglethorpe Sunday #10

Me, too. Just a babe in Utica 1950-1956. quaint Sunday #19

FL 1980's White stuff was everywhere. Lochloosa Sunday #12

We're talking True Dough Sunday #14

....maybe Lochloosa Sunday #22

I vaguely remember a few snow storms Niagara Sunday #15

I think I remember that MorbidButterflyTat Monday #62

Luckily I live in the north towns and not the south towns Niagara Monday #63

You might appreciate this... electric_blue68 Monday #68

I certainly appreciate that, electric_blue68 Niagara Monday #70

I though you'd get a kick out of that! electric_blue68 Monday #71

Worst I remember was the Blizzard of '78... malthaussen Sunday #16

There was so much snow in Boston following the blizzard Ritabert Sunday #17

Denver (several, but most snow 31.8 inches March, 2003) hlthe2b Sunday #20

Blizzard of '93, one of those "Storm of the Century" things. I was in Georgia, so it was bad. Solly Mack Sunday #21

The Great Blizzard of 1978. Southeast, Ohio. SamKnause Sunday #23

It sounds like you got it worse than Boston did Ritabert Sunday #33

I live in Battle Creek, I remember both of these. Americanme Sunday #25

Chicago 1967. greatauntoftriplets Sunday #26

See my post #27 (n/t) PJMcK Sunday #28

I was in Valparaiso, Indiana during that blizzard. murielm99 Sunday #43

Suburb of Chicago 1967 PJMcK Sunday #27

LOL, that sounds like fun. greatauntoftriplets Sunday #30

Which suburb? Martin Eden Sunday #37

We lived in Downers Grove PJMcK Sunday #38

I've lived in Downers Grove since 1986 Martin Eden Sunday #39

We lived at 6208 Fairmont Drive PJMcK Sunday #40

I'm 3 miles west of your old house Martin Eden Sunday #44

Fun conversation PJMcK Sunday #56

Happy holidays for you and yours as well Martin Eden Sunday #59

I remember that blizzard Cadfael Monday #72

Worst winter, NYC 1996 PJMcK Sunday #31

One particular period in January, 1996 no_hypocrisy Sunday #41

Gosh, what a travail! PJMcK Monday #69

Mid 1960s, Loring Air Force Base, Maine piddyprints Sunday #34

I remember getting two feet on the day before MLK Day a few years ago nuxvomica Sunday #42

Probably 1977 or 78 in eastern Ohio. doc03 Sunday #46

The winter of 1983 in South Lake Tahoe, CA 10 Turtle Day Sunday #47

Indiana blizzard of 1978 Emile Sunday #49

As above, the Blizzard of 1978. I was living on Fort Knox, Kentucky at the time. Aristus Sunday #51

Halloween Blizzard of 1991 in MN - 37 inches of snow in Duluth without accounting for drifts. waterwatcher123 Sunday #53

On that day, True Dough Sunday #54

You are quite right - seared into memory after following a plow truck for hours and hours trying to get home. waterwatcher123 Sunday #58

not really a snowstorm per se but Skittles Sunday #55

I was going to say Blizzard of 1969 until reminded of the Great Blizzard of 1978 in Boston. Eugene Sunday #57

my ex was in grad school at Harvard when the 1969 storm happened yellowdogintexas Monday #66

In England in the mid-80s LogDog75 Sunday #60

NJ in the early '60's mnhtnbb Sunday #61

1967 ProfessorGAC Monday #65

The worst was in New York, probably 1975 or 6. surrealAmerican Monday #67

NW OH 78 VGNonly Yesterday #73

North Dakota 1966 AuntieKatie Yesterday #74

Blizzard of '79 in Illinois/Wisconsin AllyCat 16 hrs ago #75