Readers share memories of the 1978 snowstorm
On the 46th anniversary of the 1978 Blizzard, Providence Journal readers shared their memories of that historic storm
The 2026 snowstorm has already broken the state snowfall record set during the infamous and unforgettable 1978 blizzard that buried New England under several feet of snow, searing the memory of the historic storm for generations.
Approximately 100 people died as a result of that devastating storm across the East Coast. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, more than 4,500 people were injured. Long before the advent of cell phones, the Internet, or instant communication, storms struck with little warning and at dire times, particularly in the Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, metropolitan areas.
Both storms are similar, but the larger one stays in the area for more than a day, bringing unrelenting hurricane-force winds across the area and dumping inches of wet snow. What made the 1978 storm so devastating was the apparent suddenness of its appearance.
Tragically, some people died from carbon monoxide poisoning as people stranded inside their cars left their engines running to keep warm and snow built up around them.
Why was the 1978 snowstorm so devastating?
The snowstorm occurred on February 6, 1978, at a time when weather forecasting was more rudimentary and much slower than it is now.
Forecasters had suggested that the blizzard that raged across the Midwest could encounter another storm heading in from the south coast that Monday morning, blanketing the region with snow. But when morning came and there was no snow, the skeptical New Englanders treated the day’s business as usual.
The internet didn’t exist. There was no weather forecast on my smartphone. In Massachusetts, the state Department of Transportation received regular updates from the National Weather Service through a teletype machine. By the time it actually started snowing, and when we realized it wasn’t going to stop, it was too late.
Old information and lots of snow
By the time the information reached snow removal crews, it was often hours old and they couldn’t catch up.
By that time, then-Governor Michael Dukakis, wearing a sweater, had declared a state of emergency and people began finishing work in the early afternoon, when the storm was at its peak. This was also a time when there was no 24-hour cable news or app alerts. Most people hadn’t heard the latest forecast, which said the heaviest snow would start falling and wouldn’t stop for hours.
Thousands of people took to the roads, unable to return home as the rapidly falling snow buried them. The situation becomes even more complicated when people leave their cars on the streets and highways, making it impossible for snow plows to pass.
The interstate system was closed for a week and local driving was prohibited. Recovery efforts took significant resources from the National Guard and cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
Postponing the blizzard of 2026
Although its social impact may never be surpassed, the blizzard of 1978 has to trail the blizzard of 2026 in terms of being the snowiest storm in Rhode Island history.
This year’s snowstorm is shattering record snowfall totals in Rhode Island. As of 1 p.m., the storm had dumped 32.8 inches of rain on Rhode Island TF Green International Airport, erasing the record of 28.6 inches that fell at the airport in 1978, according to the National Weather Service.
On February 6-7, 1978, 30 inches of snow was reported in Woonsocket, which the state Department of Environmental Management deemed Rhode Island’s highest 24-hour snowfall total through February 23.
Contribution: Providence Journal
Doyle Rice is a national correspondent for USA TODAY, focusing on weather and climate.
