Historic Winters

Wyoming Winter
December 1986
I was teaching in Wheatland, WY during the winter of 1978 - 79. I told Mom when I was coming home for Christmas, and she said to meet her in Kinnear because she needed to guide me home -- I would never find my way. What??

Of course, I knew some major storms had dropped snow in the area, but what I didn't know was how much snow had fallen and how the wind had created massive drifts. Roads were impassable, and farmers took down fences to create paths through their fields, allowing mail delivery and providing the milk trucks access to the farms to pick up the milk from the area dairies.

Plowed roads were only one lane wide, and the snow was higher than most vehicles, nearly creating tunnels. It was possible to walk right over the fences.

It was a Winter for the history books, yet eight years later it was nearly repeated. I haven't seen snow drift so badly since the Winters of 1978 - 79 and 1985 - 86. I'll post more photos when I get them scanned.

Comments

  1. Wow, that's a lot of snow! I bet there was a shortage of fence mending supplies after it all melted.

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  2. Oh my gosh...that is un-believable..anxious to see the rest of the pictures.

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  3. Wow. My mother grew up in upstate NY and I was fascinated by driving across the St. Lawrence when it froze over, but paths through fields in near-tunnels?! Wow.

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  4. I always said it was a good thing I was young that winter or I would have winter-killed. We got 120" of snow that winter in Northeast Wyoming. They were hauling out dead cattle loaded like cordwood on flatbed semi trailers all winter long. A neighbor thought her prize barrel horse had been stolen. They found him at the bottom of a draw that spring right behind the barn. He'd fallen in, and gotten covered up and couldn't get out. It was the hardest winter I've ever gone through. I sure hope to NEVER see another one like that. I bet you feel the same way, Nancy.

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  5. We had the Blissard of 78 that was tin the history books around here (Boston area)...I'll never forget it! I feel it in my bones we're in for a bad one this year...Hope I'm wrong ;)

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  6. Cool thats a winter to remember! Wow your mom had to guide you!

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  7. That is a bunch of snow..I remember some winters in the 1950's where roads were barely one lane:)

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  8. Ooooh Now I know where all that snow we got in Chicago that year came from! I will have to dig around and see if I can come up with a pic to share with you from then.

    Nothing compared to what you got I am sure. This past Feb we had the worst snow storm since 1967 in Chi. I was snowed in for three days and surely it still doesn't compare.

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  9. Yes, we had bad blowing too. I remember new Years Eve walking with my friends back to their house from mine. It was about 6 blocks, I thought we were going to freeze to death. And North Ave was closed ...I had never seen North Av (Hwy 64) close...ever and no traffic...it was weird and eerie, and not since. Well Except for this Feb. of course.

    I was supposed to fly back to Monterey Ca then but my flight was grounded. I remember thinking I was would be court martialed for being snowed in...Hahaha

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