Neighborhood

Where were you for the Blizzard of ‘77?

by S.J. Velasquez • January 25, 2012 @ 2:12pm

People were stranded in their cars, snowed in at home, and -- sadly -- some Western New Yorkers died during the Blizzard of '77.

The city of Buffalo suddenly became synonymous with snow, launching a million Buffalo snow jokes that continue today. Now, 35 years later, we remember the storm through images, video and recorded radio broadcasts immortalized on the internet. This video, created by YouTube user bondfan91, displays photos from the days of blistering cold and extreme snowfall, along with audio collected from a CBS News radio broadcast.

The storm began brewing Jan. 27, 1977. By Jan. 28, all of Buffalo was covered by a layer of immovable snow.

Check out some of the newspaper clippings from the storm that Perry's Ice Cream has posted to its Facebook page. They're also running a storm-themed ice cream giveaway, which you can enter via Facebook.

Read other archived news stories about the storm from around the world.

In the comments below, tell us what you remember from the 1977 storm that blasted our city.

Photo courtesy of Flickr / photoentropy.

TAGGED: blizzard, buffalo+history, snow, snowstorms, storms

Comments

Chaz H. Gonzalez January 26, 2012 @ 12:19pm

I was born just before the blizzard. Back then women who gave birth had to spend a couple/few days in the hospital, but the hospital discharged my mother and me early so we didn’t have to spend the storm in the hospital (I also think they did that so they had extra beds, just in case).

My extended family was all snowed in since they wanted to see the new bundle of joy (me) but couldn’t until the storm passed. I’m sure my mom was thrilled about that!

I guess this really isn’t a memory, as you asked for, but it’s something… right?
S.J. Velasquez January 26, 2012 @ 1:46pm

Chaz, thanks for sharing. That must’ve been pretty scary for your mom—to have a newborn at home during a storm when nobody could really travel. So does that mean your birthday is coming up/just passed? If so, happy early/belated birthday!
Lynn Kowal Higgins January 26, 2012 @ 2:20pm

I remember being released from school early on that. I only had to walk a total of 9 houses to get home. That walk took me and my brother forever. The snow was blinding. I was 7 years old and my brother 10 at the time. The memory of the Blizzard of 77 is still fresh in my mind. The snow drifts as high as the garage roof, cars on the street buried for days, the National Guard coming to help. Nothing Buffalo has gotten has compared to that storm since.
S.J. Velasquez January 26, 2012 @ 4:03pm

Thanks for sharing, Lynn. I wasn’t born until the early ‘80s, and I’ve seen some nasty storms—but I can’t even begin to imagine what the Blizzard of ‘77 was like.