The infamous Boston Blizzard happened in February 1978, making it 45 years since the incident. Boston.com readers shared memories and photos from the heavy snowfall from the late ‘70s to mark its anniversary. Lately, Boston has had minimal snow, but the heavy snowfall the city experienced back then will always be remembered.
It took many days of plowing and shoveling to remove the heavy snow that had fallen in the city. Some residents shared their experience with the outlet, Boston.com, most of them being children or teenagers at the time. Some were stuck in the snow for days, unable to get out. Here are some of the experiences readers had during the Blizzard of ‘78.
Stuck Cars And Stuck In Buildings
One Tom from Salem recalled how he “drove home on 128 N from Bedford at the height of the storm in an MGB CONVERTIBLE— with the top up.” Tom had to leave his car stuck in the driveway that was already blocked by so much snow.
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“I managed to get through the fast accumulating snow while others were getting stuck. At home, my driveway was a huge snow drift,” Tom shared. Another resident, Gene L., a Quincy resident, shared her experience walking on roofs of cars “completely buried in snow.”
“…I was sometimes walking on roofs of cars completely buried in snow. Also, a friend who was a Boston firefighter, died while out on a call. He also worked part-time in Jordan Marsh’s basement store where I worked also,” Gene shared while also revealing the loss of her colleague to the heavy blizzard.
The Blizzard Experience For Younger Ones
David T., from Needham Heights, recounted how he had fun in the snow along with friends. “For some reason, the kids were over and we thought it would be fun to jump off the second-story deck into a huge snow drift that had assembled below it. It was, and I feel like we each did it a dozen times, including the youngest who might have been 6,” David shared.
Another reader, named Tommy, was a teenager who had some “fun” as well— “My mom wanted to go to the grocery store but the only way was a two-foot wide path in the middle of the main road. People had the same idea. Crazy kids, we built a huge snow pile and jumped into it from a second-story roof. Don’t tell my parents!”
“Sliding off the roof of our house into the snow banks at 7 years old,” another anonymous reader said.
Residents Bonded Over The Blizzard
“I can remember my dad pulling me in the toboggan to Almacs to get groceries in the days after the blizzard for some of the other tenants. There were mountains of snow everywhere,” said Mike L. from Blackstone, who was five years old at the time.
Also, Bill from Quincy recalled getting paid with beer for helping people shovel their driveway along with friends.
People also engaged in recreation, like cross-country skiing across Mass Avenue between Harvard and Porter. “… For the February storm, got a paid week off from work. Spent it with my girlfriend playing Scrabble and otherwise amusing ourselves. My car, parked on the street, was totally buried. People cross-country skiing down Mass Ave. between Harvard and Porter,” Bruce from Reading said. Another lady met her husband while sledding in the Blizzard of ‘78.
“We were sledding buddies. I’d just gotten the LL Bean six-man toboggan as a Christmas present. His family, mine, and another neighborhood family all shared meals throughout the storm to conserve,” the lucky lady, Kim, shared. Many other readers shared their stories and photos of the Blizzard, reminiscing on the good, the bad, and the ugly of that period.