1977: Great Lakes Blizzard hits New York
The blizzard of 1977 hit western New York as well as southern Ontario from January 28 to February 1. Daily peak wind gusts ranging from 46 to 69 mph (74 to 111 km/h) were recorded by the National Weather Service in Buffalo, with snowfall as high as 100 in (254cm) recorded in areas, and the high winds blew this into drifts of 30 to 40ft (9 to 12m). There were 23 total storm-related deaths in western New York, with five more in northern New York. Certain pre-existing weather conditions exacerbated the blizzard’s effects. November, December and January average temperatures were much below normal. Lake Erie froze over by December 14, 1976; when that happens, lake-effect snow does not occur because the wind cannot pick up moisture from the lake’s surface, convert the moisture to snow and then dump it when the winds reach shore. Lake Erie was covered by a deep, powdery snow; January’s unusually cold conditions limited the usual thawing and refreezing, so the snow on the frozen lake remained powdery. The drifted snow on roadways was difficult to clear because the strong wind packed the snow solidly. In addition to the roads becoming impassable, motorists had to deal with vehicles breaking down due to the combination of very cold temperatures, very high winds and blowing snow.
In the hardest-struck areas, snowmobiles became the only viable method of transportation. In Western New York and southern Ontario, snow which was accumulated on frozen Lake Erie and snow on the ground at the start of the blizzard provided ample material for the high winds to blow into huge drifts. The combination of bitter cold, high winds, and blowing snow paralyzed areas affected by the storm. Lake Ontario rarely freezes over, which meant northern New York had to deal with considerable lake-effect snow. Coupled with the existing snow cover and wind, this had a similar effect. The worst conditions of the blizzard in Buffalo occurred during the late afternoon of Friday, January 28, as winds averaged 40 knots (46mph; 74 km/h) and gusted to 60 knots (69 mph/111 km/h) with wind chills of −60 to −70 °F (−51 to −57 °C) (NWS pre-2001 wind chill calculation method). That night people stayed in whatever shelter they could find, with 700 people staying in the Donovan State Office Building, 200 in the Rath Building, 300 in the Memorial Auditorium, etc. Authorities estimated 13 000 people were stranded Friday night in downtown Buffalo and that many in the surrounding areas as well — eg. 1 700 at Bell Aerosystems in Wheatfield, 2 500 at Harrison Radiator Company in Lockport.
With many roads becoming impassable, the City of Buffalo police were almost immobile by Friday evening. Through radio and television, citizens were asked to loan snowmobiles and four-wheel drive vehicles to the Buffalo police; police used them to answer calls. Looting broke out and items stolen included radios and firefighters’ clothing from fire trucks, as well as more than $1 500 in medical supplies from a stuck ambulance. Cigarettes, liquor, beer, coffee, meat and refrigerators were stolen from abandoned semi-trailer trucks. There was also looting from factories, stores (including two jewellery stores and a furniture/appliance store) and homes. Nearly 100 people were arrested for looting.
Most notable historic snippets or facts extracted from the book ‘On This Day’ first published in 1992 by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London, as well as additional supplementary information extracted from Wikipedia.
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