No one will ever forget the blizzard of 1978. Rhode Islanders headed off to work or school on the morning of February 6th, 1978, not knowing the enormous Nor’easter was bearing down on them. As the snow fell harder and harder in the afternoon, many people became stranded on the roadways with snow piling up around them. The massive storm had winds up to 70 miles per hour, and it snowed a record 33 hours straight. In the end, more than 40 inches of snow had fallen in some parts of Rhode Island.

A reported 3,000 cars and 500 trucks were abandoned on just an eight mile stretch of Route 128.
Wikimedia/ Jim McDevitt
In the image below, there's a Jeep under that drift of snow. Drifts were up to 10 feet high.
Wikimedia/Dahoov2
This photo was taken on Maple Street in Woonsocket about a week after the storm, when people were finally able to venture out of their houses.
Wikimedia/ Dahoov2

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Without modern radar, meteorologists were unable to predict the size and severity of the storm that was bearing down.
Wikimedia/ NOAA
Emergency crews in both Providence and Boston had their work cut out for them in the aftermath.
Flickr/ City of Boston Archives
The catastrophic blizzard had tragic results. The snow knocked out power lines across the region leaving people without electricity or heat. Thousands of people were left homeless. In all, the massive storm was responsible for 99 deaths.
YouTube/ LJMFilmsDirect
To see more about the Blizzard of 78, check out this documentary by YouTube user LJMFilmsDirect.

Were you here for the Blizzard of ’78? Share your memories of the Storm of the Century in the comments.

 

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