Written by Jim Farfaglia
I’m again turning to this monthly history column to write about significant winter weather events that didn’t make it into my new book, Historic Snowstorms of Central New York. I learned about so many memorable storms and since I hate to waste a good story, I’m sharing them here. This month the focus is on the Blizzard of 1993, which happened recently enough for most readers to recall. Many consider it the biggest storm of their lifetime.
For starters, Syracuse News Channel 9’s Chief Meteorologist Jim Teske, a true weather enthusiast, places the ’93 storm at the top of his Severe Winter Index, which ranks every winter since 1949 in terms of impact and severity. Teske deems the 1992-93 winter as the worst (or best, depending on your outlook), primarily due to the monstrous storm which took place over three days in March.
This was a widespread weather event, dumping upwards of six feet on the eastern U.S. and Canada, resulting in 300 deaths. Here in Central New York, author Mark Monmonier, in his book Lake Effect: Tales of Large Lakes, Arctic Winds, and Recurrent Snows, called it “the granddaddy of all Northeast storms.” Meteorologists blamed it on a typical—if there is such a thing—Nor’easter storm, which sent a powerful jet stream of Arctic air directly into warmer Gulf of Mexico air. To add some extra oomph, the global phenomenon El Nino had flared up that season. All this contributed to the three elements that qualified it as a killer blizzard: substantial snowfall, minus zero degree temperatures and winds clocked up to 100 mph.
Every Central New York community felt the storm’s effect. Syracuse set eight city records, including the most snow in 24 hours: 35.6 inches. Their airport was closed, as was the Thruway. The Post-Standard had a rare “no newspaper published” day. Out of caution, SU deflated its Carrier Dome and Centro pulled their buses off the road during the height of the storm—the only time in their 22-year history.
Yes, blizzard was on the frozen lips of everyone who ventured outside, and it wasn’t long before people got sick of the word. Cazenovia’s newspaper, The Republican, referred to it as “the white hurricane.” In Oswego, frequently a snowstorm “ground zero,” the Palladium-Times’ front page covered the storm, but focused on the unusual ways that it interrupted life: a woman had to retrain her dog to do its business on newspaper because she couldn’t get it outside in deep snow; the city’s movie theatre somehow stayed open, but its late show had a single customer: A stranded Niagara Mohawk serviceman.
Throughout Central New York, the blizzard left behind huge roadblocks for workers. Michael Moody, of Sandy Creek, was employed at Alcan in Oswego. “I drove from home to Alcan and got to the guard shack,” Michael remembered. “He told me he wasn’t letting anyone in or out. I politely told him to call my crew leader and let him know I was here and ready to work. The crew leader told the guard not to let me go back out in the storm.”
Janice Reilly, an Oneida County historian, worked for the New Hartford Post Office. In 1993, her route of 600 homes was on 22 miles of largely rural roads, which often closed due to drifting snow. In her 31 years of post office work, Janice only remembered three times that she could not complete her route. One was during the ’93 blizzard.
“All the carriers were directed to attempt their routes,” Janice explained, “so I started out around 9am. I was scared, but I headed out beyond the village in my LLV.”
Before I could fully appreciate Janice’s story, I needed to find out what an LLV was. That’s Post Office lingo for The Grumman “Long Life Vehicle.” In 1987, Grumman designed its LLV for the US Postal Service, claiming it “the best vehicle for serviceability and overall economical operation.” But, as Janice explained, the Postal Service must not have test driven them in Central New York.
“Our department quickly realized that the LLVs were too light for heavy snow. We installed ‘puzzle weights’ [plastic weights filled with sand] on the back floor to give them better traction. [Plus], the windshield wouldn’t thaw well, the wipers often stuck and it was so cold inside.”
Janice had only served eight homes on the most intense day of the ’93 storm when she decided “it wasn’t worth taking my life in my hands. The snow was coming down so hard and fast that visibility was nil. I gave in, turned around and went back to the post office.” But Janice’s troubles weren’t over.
“By the time I could leave, my car had disappeared in the snow-filled parking lot. Luckily, I live only a half-hour walk from work—normally. But the main road south had not been plowed and I trudged in snow up to my knees. It took four hours to get home.”
Staying safe was everyone’s concern during the storm, but that was especially true for Roxanne Alnutt Stuart, who lived on Route 57 South, outside Fulton. Roxanne has MS and is confined to a wheelchair. In ’93, Oswego County home health aides arrived daily to help with her care, but on that stormy Friday morning, Roxanne learned that county aides would not be able to make it. “In fact,” Roxanne remembered, “the county took them off the road until noon Monday. I would be on my own for the weekend.”
Roxanne had many friends who’d always offered help if needed and that’s when she thought of Betty, who didn’t hesitate to stay the weekend. Roxanne described this scene out her window as her friend’s car pulled into the driveway.
“That nasty snowstorm followed her like a curtain of snow. We couldn’t see trees in the front yard or the ramp that was attached to my house.” Roxanne and Betty settled in for a few days of playing board games, cards, watching movies, singing along with The Sound of Music and baking cookies. The friends even had fun taking care of Roxanne’s medical needs. “Getting me in and out of bed and situated for the day was a challenge,” Roxanne recalled, “but we did it with a few good laughs. I was so thankful for her help.”
Isn’t that the best way to remember how we survive our major Central New York snowstorms? It’s the friends and neighbors being there for each other and it almost makes me yearn for a big snowstorm this winter!
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