The Great Blizzards of 1978 1978-02-04 to 1978-02-08 This blizzard was a Cat 4 for the Northeast Region that packed hurricane force winds, record breaking snowfall and white out conditions. Heavy snow fell from northeastern Maryland into Maine. Record snowfall smothered Long Island, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. A small portion of Rhode Island reported over 50 inches of snow and many schools and businesses across the area were closed for over a week. (Kocin and Uccellini) The Great Blizzard of 1978 (The Cleveland Superbomb) 1978-01-23 to 1978-01-28 This blizzard produced the second lowest atmospheric pressure ever recorded over the contiguous U.S from a non-tropical system. The Upper Midwest Region felt the full extent of the storm as a Cat 5 and the Ohio Valley Region experienced a Cat 3 storm. Indiana, Ohio and Michigan all declared states of emergency and had widespread travel cessation. South Bend, IN picked up 3 feet with many parts of southern Michigan buried in 2 feet. Heavy snow accompanied by 55 mph winds produced 10 to 20 foot drifts across the area causing many cities to completely shut down. January 19-20, 1978 A strong Nor'easter developed off the Southeast Coast. It was the third snow in a week for Virginia. Charlottesville got a foot of snow, with up to 30 inches in the west central mountains of Virginia. East of the mountains saw 4 to 8 inches until you reached Richmond. Richmond received a devastating ice storm causing major power disruptions and tree damage. Many small buildings and roofs collapsed from the weight of the snow in the west. One man was injured when a roof fell. One person died while shoveling snow. The New England Blizzard of 1978 This dreadful storm stalled over New England for more than a day, dropping up to 4 inches (10.2 cm) of snow per hour. Boston, Mass. and several communities in Rhode Island were hit hardest, but even New York City -- located some four hours south of Boston -- felt the storm's effects. Meteorologists estimate snow totals between 1 and 3 feet (30.5 and 91.4 cm), with Boston's total accumulation of 27.1 inches (68.8 cm) setting the city's single-storm record [source: NOAA]. Wind speeds measured well over 100 mph (161 kph), causing severe visibility and drifting problems. This storm was worse than most for two additional reasons. First, it struck during a period of high tides, which led to some of the most severe coastal flooding that region had ever seen. Second, it struck in the afternoon. Since the morning had been clear, most people had gone to school and work as usual. The timing of the storm left thousands of people stranded in their cars on roads and highways throughout the area [source: Hurricanes- blizzards-noreasters.com]. This contributed to the storm's high death rate; more than 100 people died in Massachusetts and Rhode Island [source: NOAA]. Great Blizzard of 1978 This article is about the blizzard in the central United States. For the storm which affected the northeastern United States that year, see Northeastern United States Blizzard of 1978. Great Blizzard of 1978 Category 5 "Extreme" (RSI: 39.07) Surface map on the morning of January 26, 1978. Type Extratropical cyclone Nor'easter Blizzard Winter storm Formed January 24, 1978 Dissipated January 29, 1978 Lowest pressure 955.5 mb (28.22 inHg) Maximum snowfall or ice 36 in (91 cm) South Bend, Indiana accretion At least 71 fatalities Total fatalities Central United States, Eastern United States, Eastern Canada The Great Blizzard of 1978, also known as the White Hurricane,[1] was a historic winter storm that struck the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes regions from Wednesday, January 25 through Friday, January 27, 1978. The third lowest non-tropical atmospheric pressure ever recorded in the mainland United States occurred as the storm passed over Mount Clemens, Michigan, where the barometer fell to 956.0 mb (28.23 inHg) on January 26.[2] Meteorological synopsis Late on Tuesday, January 24, 1978 surface maps revealed a moisture-laden Gulf Low developing over the Southern United States, while a separate and unrelated low-pressure system was present over the Upper Midwest. In about 24 hours, the merger of the subtropical jet stream (containing a wind max of 130 knots) and the polar jet stream (containing a wind max of 110 knots) would lead the low-pressure system to undergo explosive cyclogenesis as it moved rapidly northward during the evening of January 25 (record low pressures were logged across parts of the South and Mid-Atlantic).[3] To be classified as undergoing explosive cyclogenesis, a storm's central pressure must drop at least 24 millibars, or an average of 1 millibar per hour, over a 24-hour period; the Great Blizzard dropped by a remarkable 40 millibars in that span of time.[3] The storm initially began as rain, but quickly changed over to heavy snow during the pre-dawn hours (as arctic air deepened ahead of the storm) leading to frequent whiteouts and zero visibility during the day on Thursday, January 26. As the storm headed for Ohio, this resulted in a "storm of unprecedented magnitude," according to the National Weather Service, which categorized it as a rare severe blizzard, the most severe grade of winter storm. Particularly hard hit were the states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and southeastern Wisconsin where up to 40 inches (102 cm) of snow fell. Winds gusting up to 100 miles per hour (161 km/h) caused drifts that nearly buried some homes. Wind chill values reached −60 °F (−51 °C) across much of Ohio where 51 of the total 70 storm-related deaths occurred.[4] Canada did not escape the wrath of the storm as blizzard conditions were common across southwestern Ontario. London, Ontario was paralyzed by (16 in) of snow and winds gusting to 128 kilometres per hour (80 mph). Barometric pressure[ On Thursday, January 26, the third lowest atmospheric pressure recorded in the mainland United States, apart from a tropical system, occurred as the storm passed over Mount Clemens, Michigan. There the barometer fell to 956.0 mb (28.23 inHg).[2] Nearby Detroit, Michigan air pressure fell to 28.34 inches of mercury (960 mbar). At around that same time, the absolute low pressure for this storm was measured at Sarnia, in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, where the barometer bottomed out at 955.5 mb (28.22 inHg).[2] Toronto pressure fell to 28.40 inches, breaking its old record by 0.17. The 956.0 mb (28.23 inHg) barometric pressure measurement recorded in Mount Clemens, Michigan was the third lowest non-tropical atmospheric pressure recorded in the mainland United States[5] and the lowest in the Central United States.[2] The lowest confirmed pressure for a non-tropical system in the continental United States had been set by a January 1913 Atlantic coast storm.[2] The lowest central pressure for the 1978 blizzard was 955.5 mb (28.22 inHg) measured in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.[2] On rare occasions, extra-tropical cyclones with central pressures below 28 inches of mercury or about 95 kPa (950 mb) have been recorded in Wiscasset, Maine (27.9") and Newfoundland (27.76").[6] In addition, the blizzard is the highest-ranking winter storm on the Regional Snowfall Index, with a maximum value of 39.07, and one of only twenty-six storms to rank as a Category 5 on the scale.[7] Impact The blizzard was the worst in Ohio history; 51 people died as a result of the storm. Over 5,000 members of the Ohio National Guard were called in to make numerous rescues. Police asked citizens who had four-wheel-drive vehicles or snowmobiles to transport doctors to the hospital. From January 26 to 27, the entire Ohio Turnpike was shut down for the first time ever.[8] The total effect on transportation in Ohio was described by Major General James C. Clem of the Ohio National Guard as comparable to a nuclear attack.[9] Michigan Governor William Milliken declared a state of emergency and called out the Michigan National Guard to aid stranded motorists and road crews. The Michigan State Police pronounced Traverse City, Michigan "unofficially closed" and warned area residents to stay home. WTCM radio staffer Marty Spaulding, who closed the bayfront location station the previous night at 11 pm was called to re-open it the next day at 6am as regular staffers could not get there due to impassable roads. Upon arriving after a 45-minute walk in waist deep snow from his home a mere 10 city blocks distant, he had to dig down "a foot" to put the key in the front door.[citation needed] In Indiana on day two, just a half-hour after the arctic front blasted through, the Indianapolis International Airport was closed due to whiteout conditions. At 3 am, the blizzard produced peak winds of 55 mph. Temperatures dropped to zero that morning. Wind chills remained a bone-chilling 40 to 50 below zero nearly all day. The governor Otis R. (Doc) Bowen declared a snow emergency for the entire state the morning of the 26th. Snow drifts of 10 to 20 feet made travel virtually impossible, stranding an Amtrak train and thousands of vehicles and weary travelers. During the afternoon of the 26th, the Indiana State Police considered all Indiana roads closed.[10] Classes at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio and the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana were canceled for the first time in the history of those universities; at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana (where 25 inches of snow fell) for the third time in its history; and, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio for the first time since the assassination of President John F.