On This Day In 1978, Indiana Was Hit With The Worst Blizzard In History
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Courtney Johnston
Author
Most people remember where they were when significant events happened – when JFK was assassinated, when the World Trade Center twin towers fell, and also when the blizzard of 1978 hit. This blizzard was catastrophic for most of the country and is still the worst recorded snowstorm in Indiana history. Learn more about what happened on January 25th, 1978 below:
Indiana has seen its fair share of snow blizzards over the years and we're no stranger to extreme weather. But the blizzard of '78 was one for the record books.
The National Weather Service reported that in 1978, snow began falling across the Hoosier state at a rate of nearly one inch per hour.
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A final report from Indianapolis measured the snow to be 30.6 inches high and the temperature (including wind chill) plummeted to -50 across the state.
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This catastrophic and deadly event claimed the lives of 70 Hoosiers. Whiteout conditions lasted across the state for more than a day and the Indiana State Police Department declared all roads officially closed on January 26th, 1978. The following video of northern Indiana shows just how bad the snowstorm got, depicting buried cars, destruction, and scary conditions.
Do you remember the tragic blizzard of 1978? For another deadly Indiana storm, read about this devastating 1990 tornado in Indiana.
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