Packard
Member
I know I lived through a blizzard because I saw it on TV. But I got 7” of snow which I cleared with my snow blower by 2:00 p.m. At 4:00 p.m. I took out the trash cans and 90% of the remaining snow on my driveway had melted tand this morning my driveway was almost all dry.
But earlier blizzards were more eventful.
In 1978, there were two blizzards in the north east about one week apart. The first was in New York, New Jersey and (probably) Pennsylvania. The second one, a week later was in Connecticut and New England. The main difference was the wind.
I found myself in both blizzards.
The first blizzard:
After the snow had stopped falling on Long Island, my good friend, Ted gave me a call. He had what would later be called an “SUV” but back then was an International Harvester truck with huge off-road tires that he used for his tree surgery business. He said he would pick me up and we would ride out to Suffolk County to pick up an overdrive unit for his truck.
I thought the idea was crazy, but I was young and had nothing better to do. We never got far. There were so many abandoned cars on the road that it was impassable. We went back to his house, ate lunch and then he was taking me home. He took me home by a “short cut” that was as of that time, not yet plowed. We were riding along and I yelled out “STOP!”.
There was a little old lady who had done a sitz-plop in the snow and could not get up. We stopped, helped her up and discovered that she was walking a tiny dog.
Since the road had not yet been plowed, it might have been several hours before someone would have seen her. And it was cold out there. It was a good thing we were young and crazy.
Nothing heroic, but we got her in her home, boiled some water for tea for her and made sure she was OK. We went out to the front of her house and dug a clearing about 5 feet square. There was no way for the dog to run off because of the high walls of snow. We told her, “Stand at the front door. Let your dog out off-leash. She can’t run off. When she is done, call her back to the house. Do not try to walk her in the snow”.
The second blizzard was in Connecticut.
I was a brand new hire and I drove to just north of Hartford to a hotel the night before. I was to visit the headquarters for the first time in the morning. But come morning, Ella Grasso, the governor of Connecticut had declared a 100% ban on driving in the state except for emergency vehicles and road clearing equipment. That would end up lasting 3 days.
My new boss called the hotel and said, “I’m on my way.”, “But I said the roads are closed.” And he said, “I’m still on my way.”
A half hour later he showed up on horseback, and he brought along a “spare” horse so I could accompany him to the office. I declined.
Two days later, when the roads were finally opened, I went out to the parking lot to go to my car. One half of the lot had about 10 to 12 feet of snow piled on the cars, so that none of them were visible at all.
At the other side of the parking lot, the side where I had parked, there was not one snow flake on my car. I simply got in, started my car and drove off.
Anyhow, those are my “blizzard stories”.
Anyone have any good blizzard stories?
But earlier blizzards were more eventful.
In 1978, there were two blizzards in the north east about one week apart. The first was in New York, New Jersey and (probably) Pennsylvania. The second one, a week later was in Connecticut and New England. The main difference was the wind.
I found myself in both blizzards.
The first blizzard:
After the snow had stopped falling on Long Island, my good friend, Ted gave me a call. He had what would later be called an “SUV” but back then was an International Harvester truck with huge off-road tires that he used for his tree surgery business. He said he would pick me up and we would ride out to Suffolk County to pick up an overdrive unit for his truck.
I thought the idea was crazy, but I was young and had nothing better to do. We never got far. There were so many abandoned cars on the road that it was impassable. We went back to his house, ate lunch and then he was taking me home. He took me home by a “short cut” that was as of that time, not yet plowed. We were riding along and I yelled out “STOP!”.
There was a little old lady who had done a sitz-plop in the snow and could not get up. We stopped, helped her up and discovered that she was walking a tiny dog.
Since the road had not yet been plowed, it might have been several hours before someone would have seen her. And it was cold out there. It was a good thing we were young and crazy.
Nothing heroic, but we got her in her home, boiled some water for tea for her and made sure she was OK. We went out to the front of her house and dug a clearing about 5 feet square. There was no way for the dog to run off because of the high walls of snow. We told her, “Stand at the front door. Let your dog out off-leash. She can’t run off. When she is done, call her back to the house. Do not try to walk her in the snow”.
The second blizzard was in Connecticut.
I was a brand new hire and I drove to just north of Hartford to a hotel the night before. I was to visit the headquarters for the first time in the morning. But come morning, Ella Grasso, the governor of Connecticut had declared a 100% ban on driving in the state except for emergency vehicles and road clearing equipment. That would end up lasting 3 days.
My new boss called the hotel and said, “I’m on my way.”, “But I said the roads are closed.” And he said, “I’m still on my way.”
A half hour later he showed up on horseback, and he brought along a “spare” horse so I could accompany him to the office. I declined.
Two days later, when the roads were finally opened, I went out to the parking lot to go to my car. One half of the lot had about 10 to 12 feet of snow piled on the cars, so that none of them were visible at all.
At the other side of the parking lot, the side where I had parked, there was not one snow flake on my car. I simply got in, started my car and drove off.
Anyhow, those are my “blizzard stories”.
Anyone have any good blizzard stories?
