These Vintage Photos Show a Glimpse of Life During Greater Cincinnati’s Blizzard of ’78

Covington

“Winter scene looking south from Pike Street”
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::Winter scene looking south from Pike Street::
” itemprop=”image” />Covington

::(Top to bottom) Tom Downing, 12, Vicky Eisenman, 21, Steve Downing, 19, Tim Czirr, 20, Mike Czirr, 25, inner tubing at Devou Park::” itemprop=”image” />Madison Ave., Covington” itemprop=”image” />Fort Thomas

::Kevin Ruehl (19), Kevin McKenzie (19) seem to have found a way to beat the snow parking problem. This was taken in front of their house::” itemprop=”image” />Covington

::Ann Theis, 13, Mark Theis, 12, Tony Lung, 12, Joe Theis, 12, Angela Lung, 13, & David Lung, 9 – shoveling snow from Kathleen Stutler’s car::” itemprop=”image” />Hebron

::Car buried in snow drift in Hebron near KY 20::” itemprop=”image” />Covington

::Gary Raper (22) and Junior Raper (23) waiting for Tank Bus after work::” itemprop=”image” />Florence

::Ron Bitter and Daryl Sears remove geese from ice in lake in front of Cindus Corp::” itemprop=”image” />Lakeside Park

::Donna Doker, 28::” itemprop=”image” />Covington

::View from First National Bank of 6th and Madison and banks closed due to weather::” itemprop=”image” />Union

::Louie Scott, Ryle Rd, Union, Ky::
” itemprop=”image” />Fort Mitchell

::Dick Grone, 52::” itemprop=”image” />Erlanger

::Mark Strong (15), Ted Hageman (15), holding car down in back for traction at Southern Railroad underpass – Ted fell off.::” itemprop=”image” />Cincinnati

::Blizzard over Mt. Adams::
” itemprop=”image” />Florence

::People shoving cars uphill during snowstorm at US 42 and Gunpowder Road::” itemprop=”image” />Hebron

::Kenneth Taylor (12) and Carl Taylor (17) chopping wood to heat their house.::” itemprop=”image” />4th & Columbia, Newport

::Tim Lucas, Newport fire fighter draining fireplug to keep it from freezing-water main break up the street::” itemprop=”image” />Covington

::Snowstorm on I-75 southbound::” itemprop=”image” />Hebron’s CVG Airport” itemprop=”image” />Northern Kentucky” itemprop=”image” />Ludlow

::Ray Sword, in dump truck, and Howard Geiser, in scraper, clearing snow on Elm Street in Ludlow::” itemprop=”image” />Covington

::Snow drifts around meters at 6th & Madison Avenues::” itemprop=”image” />Northern Kentucky” itemprop=”image” />Northern Kentucky” itemprop=”image” />Covington

::Wires down in snow at 5th & Greenup::” itemprop=”image” />Fort Mitchell

::Dixie Highway::” itemprop=”image” />Covington

::Pearl Mullins, 75, shoveling snow::” itemprop=”image” />Ludlow

::Sleepy Hollow Road during Blizzard::” itemprop=”image” />Burlington

::Wayne Smith, 9, sliding down ice over ditch::” itemprop=”image” />Covington

::Jeff Ritchie & Ray Tebelman spreading salt in Devou Park::” itemprop=”image” />

These days, it’s considered a bitter memory.

Forty-three years ago, it was a universally declared nightmare for the Greater Cincinnati area.

The storm struck the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes regions from Jan. 25-27, 1978, with up to 40 inches of snow in some areas.

On Jan. 26 of that year, the barometric pressure dropped to a record 28.81 inches —  the type of reading associated with a hurricane. The wind chill that day reached 52 below zero.

The severe weather emergency was the result of a rare “explosive intensification” of a surface low pressure system. National Weather Service officials said the anomaly produced “some of the lowest pressure readings ever recorded in the United States mainland that were not associated with hurricanes.”

Rain and fog were a precursor to blizzard conditions, which began in Greater Cincinnati as early as 1 a.m. on Jan. 26. The severe blizzard blanketed Greater Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus over the next few hours.

Typical blizzard conditions include temperatures below 20 degrees and winds averaging 45 miles per hour. During the 1978 Blizzard, temperatures were in the single-digits and winds averaged 50 to 70 miles per hour. 

In Cincinnati, 6.9 inches of snow fell during those three days, but it accumulated on top of at least 14 inches of existing snow. The blizzard came a year after another crippling winter in which the Ohio River froze for six days, then again for nine.

Food shortages were perpetuated by a transit standstill. A report from the National Weather Service said farmers in Ohio reported $73 million in loss and damages. Thousands of volunteers mobilized to bring relief during the blizzard, but there were over 70 fatalities, 51 of whom were in Ohio.

Causes of the fatalities include exposure to the cold as individuals were stranded in their vehicles or homes with no heat.

Here’s a look at that life was like during those frigid days.

All photos are courtesy of the Kenton County Library’s Faces and Places: Northern Kentucky Photographic Archives.

| Photos by Photos courtesy of Kenton County Library

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