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Blizzard of ‘78. Michael Le, Rashad, Thomas. What is a Blizzard?.
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Blizzard of ‘78 Michael Le, Rashad, Thomas
What is a Blizzard? • A blizzard is a snow storm that would have low temperatures, strong winds, and heavy blowing snow. Blizzards are formed when a high pressure system meets a low pressure system. In the United States, snow storms are classified as blizzards when there are 35 mph winds, and a visibility of ¼ of a mile for 3 hours or more.
Blizzard of ’78 Basic Info • Up to 55 inches of snow fell in some areas • Winds up to 105 KM/H • At some places, there was thunder and lightning • Affected New England (mostly Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts) • Formed on February 5, 1978, and ended on February 8, 1978
Aftermath of the Blizzard • 10,000 people had to move to temporary shelters • 2,500 houses were destroyed • Most of the Interstate was shut down, and most of it wasn’t open until the following week. • A state of emergency was announced and the US National Guards were called to help with clearing the roads. • A lot of beach corrosion was caused by the storm, especially in Cape Cod. • The snow was so high, that in some areas, plows were not very helpful, so they had to wait for the snow to melt months later.
Social and Cultural Effects of the Blizzard • It gave birth to a tradition known as the “bread and milk runs.” This was because when scared and frantic people came to the market, all the essential items were gone. This created some injury since people fought each other for the food. After the Blizzard, it’s now a custom for people in Massachusetts and Rhode Island to wreak havoc to buy food, while markets tried to stock up to keep with the demands. • Schools were closed in New York which was uncommon, since schools were not closed until 18 years later.
Bibliography • http://icons.wunderground.com/data/wximagenew/t/TheSnowman/7.jpg • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeastern_United_States_Blizzard_of_1978 • http://www.mass.gov/czm/blizzard78.htm