So old-timers, how does this compare to the Blizzard of 1978

[capecodcathy]

Forecasting, communication, advances in snow removal, the fact that this one hit late on a Friday, all make this somewhat lame compared to '78. I was 17. Out of school for 8 days, no public transportation, never mind cars. It took us three days just to find my parents' cars in our own driveway. The drifts alone were over the roof of the garage.
And, by the way, thanks for calling me an old-timer. I'll remember that.

[konfetka]

I am just wondering if it can get worse, due to global warming. How about 30-40 inches? No matter how prepared and expected, CT is having a hard time. Many people are stranded, and side roads are a mess. You can shovel your driveway, but you can't go anywhere when your street is a mess. There is just nowhere to put the snow. There are many people who can't deal with this on their own, and who need electricity and transportation for survival.

Just looking at the top storms, it used be once in 10 or 20 years. Now it's every few years.

[Cape Cod Todd]

Hello
I would say that 78 was worse since people really didn't know how bad it was going to be. Gov. Deval may have overstepped his bounds by out lawing driving on the roads after 4pm and making it a felony with a hefty fine but one BIG thing that has changed from 1978 to today is people have a serious and sometimes dangerous lack of common sense. So maybe Deval was right to do it since some people don't know any better and need ot be protected from themselves.
Another thing is there is alot more and better snow removal equipment out there today. In my little town back in 78 not that many trucks had plows. I was just a little tyke but I remember the national guard had to come in with heavy equipment to move the piles.
We just got our power back late yesterday and internet this afternoon and it is scary how much I missed them both. I don't remember missing power in 78 and internet? cell phones? those weren't invented yet. I bet there were some youngters out there during this storm that were simply panicking and yanking their hair out.
78 was worse.

[izzy508]

I was in southeastern VT in '78 in an isolated location. We had no power for 3 weeks but our usage of electric was mainly for the well and refrigerator. We melted snow and put our small amount of perishable food in the snow. We had a wood stove and had an agreement w/ our farmer neighbor to plow the road and driveway throughout the winter. Life went on without much interruption.
The amount and intensity of wind was the biggest difference I noticed and definitely related to my current location near the Cape. I have city water and natural gas, expected the electric would be out so didn't have many perishables.
This is New England. Big winter storms happen.
-izzy

[Sunshinecc]

Originally Posted by TAM88

If they had been as prepared as we are today and had the tech we have today, the 1978 blizzard would not have been so bad.

I definitely agree with this. Anyone who was not around for the Blizzard of '78 couldn't possibly comprehend just how bad it was back then. Some people could not get out of their houses because the snow drifts were so high, they couldn't open their doors. I have a picture of a one-story ranch where the snow almost reached the roof.

My street was a semi-busy street but the snow was just packed down so much. Driving was out of the question and I remember hearing snow mobiles going up and down the street. I was just a little kid so it was a blast for me. My friends and I built tunnels in my front yard. I also remember taking my little red wagon and walking with one of my friends and my parents 2 miles to the closest grocery store for the essentials. I was in charge of milk and stood there waiting for the clerk to bring out the next batch. As soon as he did, it was like ants to a picnic.

Good thread though, if you were a kid then, it's a fun memory.

[missionhill]

I also agree that the main difference was in the relative lack of forecast. I wouldn't say total lack; the storm was forecast, but not I guess as accurately. Also the weather hype was less advanced then; now they scare the heck out of people for any weather event with nonstop coverage. Another difference was the stability of the weather: it stayed cold in the winter then, and the accumulated snow from the big storm of a couple weeks earlier plus the February blizzard stayed in big piles in the streets of Boston for what seemed like months, getting dirtier and trashier as the weeks passed.

The forecasting is critical to official decisionmaking that saves stress and even lives. Getting cars off the highways was what they should have done in '78 and everyone has seen those pictures of cars stranded on Route 128 overnight. They didn't do it in New York this year and quite a few people spent the night on the Long Island Expressway. Yuck!

In the 70s there were lots of people around who remembered the terrible New England hurricane of September 1938, an event that almost no one realized was coming until it was on top of them. That really was the storm of the century in these parts.

[Mr. Joshua]

Well for starters, we had a 20"+ snowfall the week before. Not many people remember this.