Shrewsbury
Historical Society
Established 1898
Mario - Fats - Caruso
1928 - 1993
Mario - Fats - Caruso
1928 - 1993
Blizzard of '78
February 5th - 7th, 1978
At 5:00 am on Sunday, February 5, 1978 a Winter Storm Watch was issued:
SNOW IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD INTO THE STATE TONIGHT AND CONTINUE ON MONDAY. IT MAY BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES DURING THE DAY. NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS ON MONDAY MAY CAUSE CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.
A SUBSTANTIAL SNOW MAY COME FROM IT.
The storm developed as it was forecast and warnings of heavy snow - 6 inches or more - and gales for the southern New England coasts were issued Sunday afternoon. The 11:30 pm statement, on Sunday, forecast the potential of strong winds and above-normal tides Monday afternoon and night:
...SOME FLOODING OF LOW LYING COASTAL AREAS AT TIMES OF HIGH TIDES. IN ADDITION, A ROUGH SURF WILL COMBINE WITH THE HIGH TIDE TO CAUSE CONSIDERABLE EROSION ALONG EAST FACING BEACHES.
Snow began to fall in the Boston area around 7:30 am, Monday, hours after the Winter Storm Watch had been issued. At 10:00 am a Special Weather Statement on Sunday was headlined by:
HEAVY SNOW WARNINGS FOR MASSACHUSETTS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT… ACCUMULATIONS OF EIGHT TO SIXTEEN INCHES EXPECTED IN MOST SECTIONS.
Although Boston’s 1:00 pm observation on Monday reported that only 3 inches had fallen at the airport, heavy snowfall was reported along the south coast of New England. By 11:30 pm, snow depths of 8 to 12 inches were common throughout the state and zone forecasts for south-eastern Massachusetts were revised to indicate accumulations of up to 2 feet. At 8:00 pm a Special Weather Statement included:
… VERY STRONG GUSTY EAST AND NORTH-EASTERLY WINDS… UP TO HURRICANE FORCE ALONG THE COAST. BOSTON’S LOGAN AIRPORT RECORDED GUSTS UP TO 75 MPH SHORTLY AFTER 6:00 PM.
At 8:00 am Tuesday, February 7 the greater Boston Metropolitan area forecast a revised call for up to 24 inches of snow. The statements contained strong appeals to the public to “simply… stay at home.” The appeals were backed with reports of the state highway system being at a virtual standstill.
By late Tuesday morning, the worst of the storm had passed. The public forecast dropped the heavy snow warnings but continued with “snow with considerable blowing and drifting. “
Snow finally ended in Boston around 6:00 am, Wednesday, February 8. The storm snowfall was 27 inches, an all-time record for a single storm and this fell on top of 2 inches already on the ground. Also, a new 24 hour snowfall record was established when 23.6 inches of snow fell in the 24 hour period, ending at 7:00 pm, February 7.
All 8,500 members of the Massachusetts National Guard were called to active duty to rescue stranded motorists and aid in other relief efforts. People were ordered to keep off the highways, and motorists without emergency credentials were turned back or given citations at over 100 checkpoints and roadblocks.
The city of Boston was closed to traffic and was not reopened until February 14, six days after the snow ended.
National Guard Snowplow
Natural Disaster Survey Report 78-1, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Rockville, Md., September 1978) pps. 19-22.