Aw, How Cute! You Had a Blizzard Over There on the East Coast

Oh, the humanity.

As the Blizzard of 2015 bore down on the East Coast and then, in epic fashion, skipped right over most of New York and New Jersey, let us pause to remember the single biggest snowstorm on record: the Blizzard of ‘67.

Yes, our blizzard. The crippling one with 2 feet of snow, thunderstorms and funnel clouds.

And while we feel deeply for our cold brethren in New England, now buried beneath tons of snow in what is described as the sixth-worst snowstorm on record for the Boston area, our hearts are swelled with pride (one might say fully inflated to regulation pressure) in the knowledge that we in the Midwest and Chicago remain the longstanding experts in hellstorms of snow and ice.

After all, the Blizzard of ‘67 was the “Biggest Snowstorm of All Time,” claiming 76 lives across the Midwest.

photo via wikimedia

In the words of the National Weather Service:

Forty-eight years ago, on January 26 and 27, 1967, Chicago endured its worst snowstorm ever. The snow started at 5:02 AM on the 26th, and by 10:10 AM of the 27th a record 23 inches of snow crippled the city. The previous record snow for the city was 19 inches on March 25th and 26th, 1930. During the storm winds gusted to 53 mph at Midway Airport. The high winds caused considerable blowing and drifting. Drifts 4 to 6 feet high were widespread throughout the area.

The heaviest snow fell in the morning and early afternoon of the 26th with the maximum rate of accumulation 2 inches per hour during the late morning. A thunderstorm was reported at Meigs Field. Snow tapered off by evening but intensified again overnight.

Two days before the blizzard, on January 24th, the high temperature was 65 degrees and the low was 44, both records that still stand today. Thunderstorms occurred in the evening of the 24th. There were reports of wind damage, and funnel clouds were spotted in the southwest section of the city. The wind gusted to 48 mph at Midway. The wall of a building under construction at 87th and Stony Island toppled, killing one man and injuring four others. ...

The 1967 snowstorm probably caused the biggest disruption to the commerce and transportation of Chicago of any event since the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

This winter? For the most part, it’s been a breeze.

image via Chicago Memes

Stay warm, New England. Though we suspect Mother Nature dumped the full brunt of the storm on you as a punishment for the Patriots cheating in the AFC Championship game, still, we raise our snow shovels in chilled tribute to you.

CHICAGO’S FAVORITE NEW ENGLAND SNOWSTORM STORIES

• Woman Allegedly Attacks Neighbor with Snow Blower | Arlington, MA Patch
• As Blizzard Raged, Video Camera Captured a Coywolf | Wilmington, MA Patch
• Blizzard Washes Human Body Parts onto Beach | Swampscott, MA Patch

Have a Blizzard of ‘67 photo or memory? Please share in the comments.