| We missed the Blizzard of '77, having relocated to North Carolina 6 months earlier, and, as if given another chance, we returned for a visit to the Buffalo area, only to depart for our new home just two days before the storm struck. |
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| We missed the Blizzard of '77, having relocated to North Carolina 6 months earlier, and, as if given another chance, we returned for a visit to the Buffalo area, only to depart for our new home just two days before the storm struck. |
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This photo illustrates the effect of wind driven snow from a gale-force blizzard upon our old home. Note the snow-blasted corner of the house. (Sorry about the 'softness' of the neighbor's photo.) Across the street is the Brighton Golf Course, consisting of acres of open, unobstructed land, permitting the winds of the storm to get up a full head of steam before hitting the house.
We used to erect a short snow fence to drop the snow before it reached the driveway, else one could spend the entire winter clearing a parking spot! During those times when the fence wasn't effective, we had to shovel to get out, and then shovel again to get back in.
Taking a short trip
into one of the older areas of Buffalo, here are a couple of pics
from "snow-blower" country. The hard-working man in
this first picture -my late father-in-law Ben- loved to get his
snow blower into action on days like these. When he had finished
his own property, he would usually clear some of the neighbors'
walks and drives as well.
One of the major headaches of
snow removal in the 'old' city, was finding a place to plow-shovel-blow
the snow. The streets were narrow and usually lined with cars.
Only 'old sol' and a rising temperature took care of that problem...
unless the NYS National Guard was called in to haul it away. In
the aftermath of the Blizzard of '77, the news media reported
that the snow was being loaded into railroad cars and shipped
south!
Ben
was here!!
During the early to middle 1940's, there were numerous heavy snows. This is a pic of my elder sister standing in front of the first house we lived in, deep in snow, deep in the center of the city of Buffalo. Although our neighborhood school, PS 53, was but a block away, we always enjoyed school-free days when the snows were as deep as this one.
Not too many years later - still the '40's, our local PS53-based scout troop traveled on a "long journey" across town to Delaware Park, to get cold and wet from a day of sledding. I still remember this day, and how uncomfortable I felt afterwards. Dry clothes and a hot chocolate at home sped the recovery.
Take note of the sled at the right side of the picture. It was the 'Cadillac' of sleds, having a separate frame and spring-loaded bed. Most boys wanted one -- few ever owned one.
That's all there is right now from the archives... many photos awaiting scans; but here's a current scene from Jamestown, NC, dateline December 24, 1998. This was to become our first white Christmas in many years, and although not up WNY "standards" for the white stuff, we were happy with our share!
You can go here for some snow scenes, or trains, planes, boats, and cars, (BIG boys' toys), or another look at the contents page might be helpful.