(Cleveland) – While the high temperature for Friday is expected to be around 50 with sunny skies, it was a far different story 40 years ago. That’s when the Blizzard of ’78 hit Ohio, said to be the worst winter event in local history.
The storm that some also called a “white hurricane” brought only about a foot of snow, but winds of 50-80 MPH created snow drifts higher than most houses, and created a wind chill index of around -100.
When the eye of the storm passed over Cleveland, the barometric pressure dropped to a record 28.26 inches, and the temperature dropped nearly 40 degrees in just six hours. The Ohio Turnpike was shut down its entire length, and Gov. James Rhodes called in the Ohio National Guard.
It took two days to get major roads open again, but schools were closed for days afterward. 51 Ohioans lost their lives in the blizzard.
(Photo courtesy Ohio National Guard)