Ahead of ‘Nemo,’ Locals Remember 1978 Blizzard

High wind gusts, white-out conditions and over a foot of snow. It might sounds very familiar but this was the forecast for a snow storm that hit the Northeast 35 years ago this week when from Feb. 5 through Feb. 8 back in 1978 a blizzard blanketed the area.

There’s even a website dedicated to it and it has its own Wikipedia page.

Those old enough to remember it recall snowdrifts covering automobiles and days stuck indoors. (No Internet and for many, no cable television either. How did we survive?)

We asked on Facebook if people remembered the blizzard of 1978 and here’s what they told us:

"I remember the snow freezing over and my sister and I being small and light enough to ice skate on top of it in our backyard!" – Marci A. Geller

"Lived in Setauket at the time, trying to sell the house to move to [California] was hard, house didn't sell until July – who goes house hunting in big snow storms," – Frances Miller

"I remember there was so much snow not only because of the blizzard, but also a second huge snowfall back-to-back. I lived in Old Field and the snow plow got stuck in our driveway. We had to get a tow truck to remove the snow plow truck and a bulldozer to plow through!" – Helayne Damianos

"Lived in Old Field off Crane Neck Rd. and no plows got through for days...no electricity... long, cold and beautiful walk down Quaker Path to SUNY..." – Nancy Lincoln Trump

"In the street making a fort with my brothers!" – Anne Vasquez O'Reilly

"We were without power for a week, if memory serves. As a child, it was an adventure. Bet my parents didn't feel the same!" – Lynne M. Jacoppi Stotz

Continue the conversation here. Do you remember the blizzard of 1978? Share your memories in the comments below.