Happy 60th anniversary

[rrlbees]

To the blizzard of ‘66.

For you young kids, today is the 60th Anniversary of the Blizzard of 66. January 30th-31st 1966. Between 45” - 105” of snow fell depending on where in CNY you lived. Oswego got 50” just on Jan 31. A couple days prior, the temps had even dropped to -26 degrees.

This photo was taken 2-2-66. Me and my 2 bros. I’m the good looking one in the middle. School was closed a week.

And for those who hate brushing the snow off your car.

 

[FloridaCuse]

Thanks for he reminder and the pictures. Oh yes, I remember it well. I don't think our street (in the city) was plowed for 3 or 4 days. Snow was piled up like 6 feet. My aunt taught us how to play bridge during it. It's going to be cold in South Florida this weekend. Down to 29 tomorrow night and 30 Sunday night. I know not like up north but that's almost unheard of down here. Iguanas will be falling from the trees.

 

[Eric15]

School was closed a week.

School was closed all week in our county in Maryland this week. We got like 8 inches and it stopped snowing Sunday afternoon. We are very soft down here.

But yes, my parents talk about the Blizzard of 66 a lot. My Mom grew up in Solvay and my Dad in Eastwood. They said the sledding was incredible.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

I hated the cold and the snow.

Damned if Mom and Dad bundled me up and dragged me outside for the obligatory photo.

 

[cusefan88]

To the blizzard of ‘66.

For you young kids, today is the 60th Anniversary of the Blizzard of 66. January 30th-31st 1966. Between 45” - 105” of snow fell depending on where in CNY you lived. Oswego got 50” just on Jan 31. A couple days prior, the temps had even dropped to -26 degrees.

This photo was taken 2-2-66. Me and my 2 bros. I’m the good looking one in the middle. School was closed a week.

View attachment 259635

And for those who hate brushing the snow off your car.

View attachment 259636

My mom's family grew up on the East side I believe will have to ask them about it.

 

[rrlbees]

School was closed all week in our county in Maryland this week. We got like 8 inches and it stopped snowing Sunday afternoon. We are very soft down here.

But yes, my parents talk about the Blizzard of 66 a lot. My Mom grew up in Solvay and my Dad in Eastwood. They said the sledding was incredible.

Ahhh Maryland. I lived there for 4 years after college. Loved it in winter. 2 inches of snow and everyone was in a panic and work would be closed.

 

[Chip]

School was closed all week in our county in Maryland this week. We got like 8 inches and it stopped snowing Sunday afternoon. We are very soft down here.

But yes, my parents talk about the Blizzard of 66 a lot. My Mom grew up in Solvay and my Dad in Eastwood. They said the sledding was incredible.

As someone who grew up in Oswego, I often laugh about it myself.

But here in Alexandria, this feels like a new ice age. 4 inches of ice on top of 8 inches of snow and the temperature won't get above 20. Never really seen anything like that down here. Chopping away at the ice for 5 days like a Schiano recruiter.

'66 blizzard was a few years before my parents made me.

 

[OCESIP]

Just got to Fort Knox for basic (snow there too). My dad and wife were snow shoveling for days here (no snow blowers then).

Expecting 3-5 inches here in North Myrtle Beach and everything will shut down for days. Us transplanted ones just smile and console the locals.

 

[sutomcat]

To the blizzard of ‘66.

For you young kids, today is the 60th Anniversary of the Blizzard of 66. January 30th-31st 1966. Between 45” - 105” of snow fell depending on where in CNY you lived. Oswego got 50” just on Jan 31. A couple days prior, the temps had even dropped to -26 degrees.

This photo was taken 2-2-66. Me and my 2 bros. I’m the good looking one in the middle. School was closed a week.

View attachment 259635

And for those who hate brushing the snow off your car.

View attachment 259636

There have been many bad snowstorms in my lifetime but nothing compares to the Blizzard of 66.

One of the two doors in our house was snowed in for a week or so.

We could actually walk up a giant drift in our backyard to the second floor roof. And that is how my dad went to work and came back for a few days.

Another giant drift gave us easy access to our garage roof. We had lots of fun waiting for school to open again.

 

[Cheriehoop]

I made good money shoveling neighbor’s driveways, walks during that storm. I thought I’d die shoveling our driveway back to the detached garage in the city. We lived on a big hill and I had to stop shoveling and run towards our backyard afraid of being hit whenever a car, plow etc would slide out of control down the hill sideways. No money to be made at home for all the work - but they did keep me fed and warm through it all. A week out of school was a present for dealing with all the snow shoveling - that and getting rich - made $107 in total and 3 pieces of supposed expensive Swiss made candy from a woman who stiffed paying me anything for shoveling her walk and driveway. I had to stop my wonderful 79 year old grandmother from going outdoors and telling her off for being a rotten cheap no good person.( I can still hear my grandmother upset saying that she has enough money to have a maid come in twice a week too and yet cheats you giving you a few pieces of supposed expensive candy )

 

[im4cuse]

Ice here in NoVa is the real deal and I grew up in New Hartford. My dad had a plowing bus so I didn’t see him for a week during the blizzard of 66. Alas ice can be very dangerous for kids. My 10 yr old grandson broke his collarbone tubing. Ugh just before AAA hockey playoffs. No surgery but. 6-8 weeks off for a kid used to being on ice every day. We are all very sad.

 

[BomberOrange]

There have been many bad snowstorms in my lifetime but nothing compares to the Blizzard of 66.

One of the two doors in our house was snowed in for a week or so.

We could actually walk up a giant drift in our backyard to the second floor roof. And that is how my dad went to work and came back for a few days.

Another giant drift gave us easy access to our garage roof. We had lots of fun waiting for school to open again.

My mom tells me about 66 and she said that’s bad as 93 was…’66 was the king of all storms.

 

[upperdeck]

being a wee young lad back then all I have is the memories on some old videos. I do remember that a crew of college kids got stranded in our town on the way back to ithaca and my dad put then up in our apartment.

 

[Scooch]

Ah yes, there's nothing young people love more than hearing about weather from decades ago.

Seriously, it's amazing how blizzards stick in our minds more than just about any other major weather event. Cool pics.

 

[23Zone]

Down here in the Carolinas we are preparing for the bomb cyclone. Expecting 6 inches. Who doesn't love 6 inches... But seriously I went to the grocery store and it was absolute pandemonium. Milk and bread were flying off the shelf in complete chaos which reminded me eerily of Reds substitution pattern lol

 

[upperdeck]

The blizzard of 71 is the one I remember as a kid. Buried the school. pile in front of our house was up to our roof, we dug caves into it

 

[Oakland]

That was the biggest snow storm I ever experienced, and I've seen more than a few including some in Tahoe.

 

[Boozercrook]

From Bud Hedinger's Weather Guide (1979):

 

[stlorange]

Nice memory, I was 13 years old in 1966 and living outside Washington DC. I think we got 20-30 inches with large drifts and school was out for a week. I built an igloo with some friends, and our parents let us sleep in the igloo one night!!

 

[Eric15]

I made good money shoveling neighbor’s driveways, walks during that storm.

Could I possibly hire you to shovel the concrete-esque icy snow in my driveway right now?

 

[007]

I hated the cold and the snow.

Damned if Mom and Dad bundled me up and dragged me outside for the obligatory photo.

I think I found your photo

 

[rrlbees]

I think I found your photo

View attachment 259644

fixed it. you're welcome. lol.

 

[Cheriehoop]

Could I possibly hire you to shovel the concrete-esque icy snow in my driveway right now?

I gave up shoveling about 4 years ago. My back just won’t take it anymore. Being a broke kid was quite a motivator when I was young though, I had a nice market on my street shoveling walks and mowing lawns. Didn’t like ice at all though. I’m a pro unpaid couch sitter now.

 

[sufandu]

My parents grew up in Oswego County and talk about people having to get out of their homes through second story windows or dig tunnels from their front doors.

 

[crv1728]

There have been many bad snowstorms in my lifetime but nothing compares to the Blizzard of 66.

One of the two doors in our house was snowed in for a week or so.

We could actually walk up a giant drift in our backyard to the second floor roof. And that is how my dad went to work and came back for a few days.

Another giant drift gave us easy access to our garage roof. We had lots of fun waiting for school to open again.

Your story reminded me that my dad actually put a ladder up against our house and had his three kids climb it and jump off the roof into the snow bank. I’m sure he was amused to see us disappear into the snow, climb out and want to do that over and over.. I was 4 and still remember loving that day.