A Look Back at Two of the Most Devastating Snowstorms in Connecticut

Connecticut's first snowstorm of 2022 jogged a couple of memories as I brushed off my car and froze my butt off at 5 this morning. We've had some monumental snowstorms here in Connecticut, so I invite you to read on as we take a deeper look at two of the worst.

THE BLIZZARD OF 1978:

On Sunday, February 5, 1978,  a catastrophic, historic nor'easter struck New England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the New York metropolitan area. In Connecticut, the storm was known as "Storm Larry." It pushed on from Monday morning, February 6, to the evening of February 7.

These phenomena beat up on a typical nor'easter, bringing steady snow for six to twelve hours. However, the Blizzard of '78 brought heavy snow for an unprecedented total of 33 hours. In many areas in Central and Southern New England, the snow falling at night turned to an icy mix that left a notable layer of solid ice on every external surface.

Unfortunately, this power-packed storm took many New Englanders by surprise because of the inaccuracies of professional meteorologists. Two feet of snow combined with 70mph winds and huge snowdrifts lead to uncountable accidents. As a result, president Jimmy Carter declared it a federal disaster.

THE STORM OF THE CENTURY - MARCH 12-14, 1993

Also known as 'The Blizzard of '93,' this was indeed one of the most powerful storms of the century. It began to brew over the Gulf of Mexico on Friday, March 12 and swiftly made its way up the east coast bombarding Kennedy and La Guardia Airports.

States of emergency were declared in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, which shut down airports all along the east coast. From Florida to Maine, this storm was felt as meteorologists studied monumental satellite pictures of a massive spiral galaxy churning counterclockwise.

Hundreds were evacuated from low-lying areas of Stamford and Norwalk. Winds in Connecticut reached 40 mph, with gusts of 60, and snow accumulated up to 10 inches in Norwalk, 7 inches in Bridgeport, and 3 to 12 inches in northeastern sections. Even much of the south got hit with snow. Fifteen inches in Birmingham, Ala., 12 inches in northern Georgia, 14 inches in Lewisburg, W. Va. Drifts of up to 6 feet were reported in the north of Alabama, and ankle-deep snow was reported in Florida's panhandle. YES!!