It looked like a white hurricane.Ītmospheric pressure fell like a rock. A satellite photo revealed a giant swirl of clouds over Ohio. Warm moist air slammed into bone-chilling cold. What made the Blizzard of 1978 the Storm of the Centuryĭespite earlier projections, a low pressure area from North Dakota collided with a low pressure area from the Gulf of Mexico. Around the clock, the trio updated forecasts, issued radio warnings and maintained contact with sheriffs in Summit and Stark counties. The center of the storm was west of the airport. The trapped weathermen witnessed a record-breaking blizzard. There were three of us there: myself, Phil Martin and Ed Heath. "Nobody could get in and nobody could get out," he said. It became his home for the next 58 hours.īlizzard of '78: Here's what made the Great Blizzard so devastating Thursday at the National Weather Service at Akron-Canton Airport. Retired meteorologist Bob Alto, 71, of Massillon, recalls arriving at work at 6 a.m. Local residents will never forget the big storm of 30 years ago. The Blizzard of 1978, often called the Storm of the Century, killed more than 50 people in Ohio and caused at least $100 million in damage. Photos: Looking back at Ohio's Blizzard of 1978 26, 1978, spreading an icy coat of death and destruction. They woke up to a screeching nightmare.Ī monster storm with hurricane-force winds slammed into Northeast Ohio early Jan. People who went to bed early missed the bulletins at 9 p.m. Windy and cold Thursday with snow flurries." The original forecast sounded harmless enough: "Rain tonight, possibly mixed with snow at times. Editor's note: Originally published in 2008 for the 30th anniversary of the storm.
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