Sixty years ago this week, a deadly massive snowstorm in the Northeast and the ensuing Arctic epidemic set state weather records that still stand today.
The storm was later overshadowed by bigger storms such as the 1978 Blizzard, but it will never be forgotten by the families of the 201 people who died in the storm.
AccuWeather.com
From Virginia to Maine, more than a foot of snow accumulated. The heavy snow was followed by extreme cold, with state record lows set in Alabama and Mississippi that are still recorded today. On January 30, the temperature dropped to minus 27 degrees in Newmarket, Alabama, and to minus 19 degrees in Corinth, Mississippi.
Significant lake effect snow fell near Oswego, New York, during and after the storm, with a total snowfall of 103 inches measured. Camden received 50 inches of snow, setting an all-time 24-hour snowfall record in New York that is still being recorded today. Oswego schools are closed for a week. Bulldozers had to be used to clear the snow, and helicopters were used to deliver supplies and medical help.
Cars buried in blizzard in 1966 in Oswego, New York. (SUNY Oswego)
From Maryland to New York, every major city received more than a foot of snow from the storm:
• Pittsburgh, Pa.: 14.4 inches
• Washington, D.C.: 13.8 inches
• Allentown, Pa.: 13.3 inches
• Philadelphia, PA: 12.7 inches
• Baltimore, MD: 12.1 inches
On January 31, 1966, snow covered the empty Lincoln Memorial and the White House was obscured by snow (Onyx Media, Llc)
An estimated 201 people died from heart attacks while shoveling snow, traffic accidents, cold or fires caused by people trying to heat their homes.
Although this storm has gone down in history as the 1966 Blizzard, it should not be confused with the deadly March blizzards of the Northern Plains, which are sometimes referred to by the same name.
