Blizzard of 1966
Encyclopedia
The Blizzard of 1966 is to date the most famous blizzard to hit Oswego, New York
, and held the record for the most snowfall in a single storm in Oswego until the Lake Effect snow storm of February 2007.
It began as a nor'easter
which affected the New York City
metro area and was followed by heavy "wraparound" lake effect snows. Winds
were more than 60 mph. during the storm
and at Fair Haven, New York
they are believed to have exceeded 100 mph.
The snow was badly drifted and roads and schools closed as long as a week. Drifts covered entire 2 story houses.
A total of 103" of snow was recorded at Oswego, 50" of this falling on the last day of the storm alone. 50" of snow were also recorded at Camden, New York
on the same day. The last day of the blizzard
the winds subsided and snowburst
conditions prevailed, with the snow falling straight down. Fair Haven did not have official snowfall records at the time, but state troopers reported measuring 100" of snow on the level, where none had been prior to the storm. Syracuse, New York
received a record snowfall of 42.3" which remained their heaviest storm on record, until the Blizzard of 1993.
The storm lasted from January 27 to January 31, 1966, a total of 4½ days. The daily snowfall totals for Oswego
are as follows.
Oswego, New York
Oswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...
, and held the record for the most snowfall in a single storm in Oswego until the Lake Effect snow storm of February 2007.
It began as a nor'easter
Nor'easter
A nor'easter is a type of macro-scale storm along the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada, so named because the storm travels to the northeast from the south and the winds come from the northeast, especially in the coastal areas of the Northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada...
which affected the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
metro area and was followed by heavy "wraparound" lake effect snows. Winds
WINDS
WINDS , is a Japanese communication satellite. Launch was originally scheduled for 2007. The launch date was eventually set for 15 February 2008, however a problem detected in a second stage manoeuvring thruster delayed it to 23 February...
were more than 60 mph. during the storm
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather...
and at Fair Haven, New York
Fair Haven, New York
Fair Haven is a village in Cayuga County, New York, United States. The population was 884 at the 2000 census.The Village of Fair Haven is within the Town of Sterling and is northwest of Syracuse, New York...
they are believed to have exceeded 100 mph.
The snow was badly drifted and roads and schools closed as long as a week. Drifts covered entire 2 story houses.
A total of 103" of snow was recorded at Oswego, 50" of this falling on the last day of the storm alone. 50" of snow were also recorded at Camden, New York
Camden, New York
Camden, New York may refer to:* Camden , New York, a township of Oneida County* Camden , New York, a village within Camden township...
on the same day. The last day of the blizzard
Blizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong winds. By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have winds in excess of with blowing or drifting snow which reduces visibility to 400 meters or ¼ mile or...
the winds subsided and snowburst
Snowburst
The term snowburst was coined in the 1960s by Prof. Robert Sykes who taught meteorology at SUNY Oswego, in northern New York. He used the term to describe a snowstorm that occurred December 7-11, 1958 in Oswego, New York. This particular storm dropped almost 6 feet of snow on the city including 40...
conditions prevailed, with the snow falling straight down. Fair Haven did not have official snowfall records at the time, but state troopers reported measuring 100" of snow on the level, where none had been prior to the storm. Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
received a record snowfall of 42.3" which remained their heaviest storm on record, until the Blizzard of 1993.
The storm lasted from January 27 to January 31, 1966, a total of 4½ days. The daily snowfall totals for Oswego
Oswego
Oswego is a word from the Iroquois language, meaning "The Outpouring". The word may refer to:-Place names:In the United States:*Oswego, Illinois, a village in Kendall County*Oswego, Indiana, an unincorporated place in Kosciusko County...
are as follows.
- January 27, 1966: 8"
- January 28, 1966: 12"
- January 29, 1966: 11"
- January 30, 1966: 21"
- January 31, 1966: 50"