Viewers' Blizzard Blogs - Chapter 4

Back Then...We Called Them Journals

At the time of the Blizzard of 78, I was a sophomore at Norwood High School and I kept a journal. To follow are a few excerpts from the pages beginning with:

Friday January 20, 1978

You guessed it, it is snowing again! This is the biggest snowfall in a 24 hour period ever in New England. It started about 2 a.m. and it is still going strong at 7:30 p.m. with 20 inches on the ground and four to eight more inches expected.

February 6, 1978

It is another record maker. Today we were sent home from school at 1:30 because of the blizzard. Everyone including walkers were put on buses. It was very difficult to keep standing in the wind!

February 7, 1978

The Blizzard is still going strong. Today is also Dad's 42nd birthday. The snow just broke our record set on January 20th for the most snowfall in a 24 hour period. There is now somewhere between three and four feet of snow on the ground. How unbelievable!

February 8, 1978

Everything looks really weird outside today. This is the worst storm since 1888. Mom talked to her Aunt Bett today who is in her eighties and she cannot remember anything like it ever! People on the radio are telling everyone not to go outside walking because the snow will disorient you.

That did not stop Brian though -- he walked the mile home from the McManus's house. When he was in the driveway he fell off a snow drift and almost could not get up. He then walked right over the car and into the window as the doors were blocked.

The Army and National Guard have been called in and 100,000 people in Boston are without electricity. Many are stranded in cars.

We walked to Star Market in Norwood . We had to bring a sled as cars are banned indefinitely. Bread and milk was scarce. The snow banks are as high as the telephone wires.

Monday February 13, 1978

A week ago today was the blizzard. We have school off this whole week and next week is February vacation. Today is the first day back into Boston for a lot of people. They must take public transportation as cars are still banned.

I made a note at the end of February that said "We had a total of 21 days of school off due to the blizzard and then all students including walkers had to take buses to school for a month as it was not safe to walk

-Lauren Hamilton