On January 6, 1996, snow begins falling in Washington, D.C., and up the Eastern seaboard, beginning a blizzard that kills 154 people and causes over $1 billion in damages before it ends.
The Blizzard of 1996 began in typical fashion, as cold air from Canada pushed down and collided with relatively warm winds from the Gulf of Mexico. The clashing weather fronts caused a terrible combination of snow and wind. Snow began to fall in the District of Columbia about 9 p.m.; 12 inches fell over the course of the next 24 hours.
In Lynchburg, Virginia, it was worse: A record 20 inches of snow fell in a single day. Since wind gusts were reaching up to 50 miles per hour, snow drifts piled up in many areas and travel was nearly impossible.
As the storm moved northeast, it continued to break records. Newark, New Jersey, received a total of 28 inches over several days. Providence, Rhode Island, received 32 inches and Philadelphia was inundated with 30 inches. The Philadelphia schools were closed until January 16 due to the city’s inability to clear the heavy snow promptly from the streets.
Overall, the blizzard took a serious toll on both people and property. A church roof in Harlem collapsed, injuring several people in New York City. Barns all over Pennsylvania collapsed under the weight of so much snow. As a precaution, many supermarkets, which often feature large flat roofs, closed across the region. Two buses collided in Pittsburgh and 52 were seriously injured.
The storm deaths were mainly the result of traffic accidents, collapsed trees and homeless people dying from hypothermia. In a few instances, people who were trapped in their cars died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Pennsylvania suffered the most deaths, with approximately 80.
President Bill Clinton was forced to shut down the federal government for nearly a week because of the storm. He declared D.C. and nine states to be disaster areas. Estimates of the total property damage suffered ranged from $600 million to $3 billion.
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Here in Minneapolis: Famous Halloween Blizzard of 1991. That Friday afternoon (about 3:00 pm) I left a client site. It was about 50 degrees, an unusually warm day for Minnesota. Just by chance, I turned on the car radio, and heard a warning of an impending snow storm. So I stocked up groceries and stopped at the liquor store. Best thing I ever did.
By the next morning – 30″ of snow had fallen. It messed up driving on city streets for the rest of the winter. Around Thanksgiving it snowed another 20″ inches.
March 1993: Anywhere from 24 to 42″ of snow in Western NC & East TN. Started Friday around sunset. At my house we got 31″ – and it was WET SNOW. Power went out around 8:45 PM on a Sat nite. Went down to 4º outside, fireplace w/ a 10-14′ high sloped ceiling kept us at 40º or so inside.
Dumbass demo mayor (town pop. 1,500) would not let the roads be plowed until noon Sunday. We managed to get a discounted room with heat downtown that night once my 1992 Blazer could get out of the driveway.
Oh, he was a 10 term (20 yr) mayor who decided not to run for a 11th term.
And yes this winter also saw across the upper Great Plains over a 100 inches of snow fell over this season resulting in massive overland flooding in Minnesota and North Dakota in the 1997 spring. What a winter that was!
In early Feb 2010 Maryland had back to back blizzards dropping between 50-60 inches of snow within a week ( another 8 inches and 12 inches followed later that month)… equipment was brought in from Canada ( SnowDragon) to help melt all of the plowed snow because parking lots had massive piles, the snow being dumped in the Chesapeake by the truckload was causing shipping channels to freeze up ..
……….. on the bright side? Baltimore city set a record with 9 straight days without a homicide ( longest period in last 70 years)
We decided to stay in the dorms. One of our frat brothers somehow managed to bring us Ramen Noodles and cases of beer in his Ford Thunderbird (!) We all just got shitfaced and someone had a makeshift sled.
Good times.
Me: “That’s a damned shame!”
You: “What is? That 154 people died?”
Me: “No, it’s a shame that 154 Congress-turds didn’t die!”
I’ll see your 154 and raise you 383.
154+ 281 (the rest of ’em)+100 in the senate+1 Potus n’ 1 Vpotus = 537.
And I still have 9 un-elected/appointed left to go.