The Worst Winters in Chicago
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- čas přidán 3. 08. 2024
- You need to be prepared to live through a Chicago winter. Especially if it's going to be a rough one. If you want to know how bad the winters get here, I decided to revisit some of the coldest and snowiest winters in Chicago history.
This was my final ranking
1. 1978-79
2. 1977-78
3. 2013-14
4. 1967-68
It is worth noting that we are better equipt to deal with a tough winter due to modern conveniences. Of course, harsh winters during the 19th century and early 20th century would have been a lot harder to deal with.
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Film by the Chicago Aussie
Chicago has two seasons, winter and road construction.
Tell me about it.
LOL truth
Chicago’s road construction never ends
good, the roads in IL are horrible. They have a long way to go.@@tejashpatel9490
I can personally vouch for that statement
Winter in Chicago... always loved it as a child, always hated it as an adult. I wish I could find a happy medium. lol
2miscme The median is your ability to rediscover the beauty of winter and not succumb to the peer pressure of hating winter, and you’ll be fine assuming you live inside and have heat.
2miscme I feel the same way!!! You dont feel the pain of cold as a child. You just enjoy the fun.
I agree. Was a street cop in the city for 28 years, hated the winter, long cold nights and lots of crashes, having to tow cars, etc.... That part sucked. As a kid in the 70s, those winters were brutal, but we were always outside. Chicago, what can I say...
I was trapped on a bus on Lake Shore Drive during Snowpocalypse. I knew I should have taken the train, but honestly the snow came down so fast that when I left work in the Loop I thought I would be fine. Eventually, I walked across Lincoln Park with a group of people from my bus and we took shelter in a building for about an hour. Somehow they kept Clark and Broadway clear so we were able to take the 36 bus north to get home. I stopped at a 24-hour diner near my place and had a quite late dinner. The next day was work from home for everyone at my company. Later I sent a gift basket to the doormen at the building where they let us take shelter. I am amazed how quickly the city cleared up Lake Shore Drive, which was absolutely full of cars and snow the whole length. I think they had it cleared in about 24 hours.
I delivered newspapers during the winters of the late 70s. It was... character building.
@@ChicagoAussie No we found them fine. IN THE SPRING!
I was born in Chicago in 1949. I too delivered news papers in the 1970s. I graduated high school the night of the great blizzard of January 1967.
bdfunke - I lived through all those snow storms in south suburban Dolton, IL. I delivered the Chicago Daily News on my bicycle (or sled) in the early 1970’s. Yes indeed - “character building.”😊☃️❄️💨
I delivered the Chicago's American which was an evening news paper during the week and a morning paper on Saturday and Sunday. It ceased publication in the 1970s as I remember.
And then summer as a Cubs fan! I was in the same boat as you.
Yes character building
I was born in Chicago but at the age of 10 I moved to Philadelphia. The winters are much more mild here, but the winter of 2013-14 made me feel like I was in Chicago again. My mom used to tell me stories about the 1967 Chicago blizzard.
I was 2 in 67. I remember running through a shoveled path in the snow that was taller than I was.
I moved to East Tennessee after 2014 enough is enough 😩⛄️
I remember the 70s winters as a kid. Talk about a character builder.
I was born in 64,remember all except 83, still sucks. I don't know why people are against global warming 😎
We thought it was fun as kids. Snow days off from school, fun playing in the snow, being amazed at the walls of snow.
We just had a temp of -28° f with a windchill of -61°f last week in chicago, with a few feet of snow before that, gotta love chicago
I remember Chiberia CLEARLY because I plowed snow that season. It was -40F that day with a wind chill bringing the "real feel" down to -60F. Plowing snow for work is masochistic tier. That was the last year I worked plowing snow, it was surprisingly good money for the kind of labor it is but money isn't worth playing around in a polar vortex. Snowpocalypse and Chiberia were two unreal winters.
Lived in a Chicago suburb in Jan '67. Home from college. Decided to shovel parents' long driveway so Dad could get to work. Cleared a shovel-width path to the end of the driveway, and of course, found snow more than two feet deep in the street. We didn't leave the house for quite a while. Hilarious unless you were in an emergency situation. Then it was frightening.
YES!!! I was also home from college at the same time -- I took my childhood sled to the grocery store, and it was hysterical to see the panicky people getting tons of "milk and bread" -- saw an actual airboat (or similar vehicle) going down Edens expressway -- we all just hunkered down and did fine -- my Dad said it was nothing compared to rural Iowa in 1910!!!
i remember snowpocalypse. i left work early that day and found a space on what would be one of the last trains out of the loop that day, making it home before the worst of it hit. if i recall correctly, it took days to get all those cars off LSD.
kofuzi actually it took 12 hours.
kofuzi I hated that day Joliet was 🥶
the cars were on LSD? I haven't taken acid in years.
@@charkswitlazers lake shore drive
Those cars were trippin balls
I was 11 during the big snow of 67. It was just flat out fun for a kid. We could climb on the garage roof and jump into huge drifts. One of my childhoods best memories.
Shelby & Chicago Aussie,
I was also 11 in 1967. Being off school was indeed fun, and rare for my sister and I. It seemed that, through the winters, we were forever listening to WIND or WGN for school closings that never came for stubborn St Catherine of Genoa. Alas! 1967's Big Snow afforded us a few days off!
I was a working adult in 1978, just as happy to "call in" to say my Blue Island street hadn't been plowed yet. Jammed along with some tunes on the drums, watched movies, had hot chocolate, etc.
That being said, in 1967, I ended up in a pit my sister Cindy and I dug in the snow, in our 129th & Parnell back yard. I had boosted her out, and told her I'd join her and Mom inside soon.
I wasn't; the snow turned to ice and I had to wait till Mom figured out I was stranded. Funny now, not so funny then. Gloves were wet, fingertips burning. God bless!
-Steve
I remember December 1983, I had just moved from San Diego and had no winter clothing. My grandma had a winter jacket saved for me. I was six years old at the time and I was crying it was so cold.
Perfect timing! It's snowing right now!
A blizzard just happened last night 💀
It's snowing rn 😫😫
You right it’s 2019 now and it’s snowing and windy and cold.
Oh, I miss Chicago and it's beautiful winters! LOL -
Excuse me!?
I have moved to an area where we have 7 months of Summer , very short Springs or Falls, and Mild Winters. It's almost New Year's Eve right now and it's 57 degrees outside. But of those seven months of Summer... five of those months are up above 95 degrees and high humidity. Probably three months of that is close to or over 100 degrees. I hate summer dot-dot. But I hate these Summers with a passion. I would trade One Summer here for two Chicago Winters easily. I can't wait to move back to Chicago and have a decent Four Season year!! Someone mentioned that these Winters build character. That's absolutely true. I love Chicago ... even her Winters.
@@mckenna8663 sounds like you moved from Chicago to Florida like me
I've lived through countless Chicago Winters and it's always blistering cold, lots of snow and I enjoy it!😁❤️
Loved this video. It brought back memories. And love hearing our adopted Aussie try to speak in frigid temps. 😊 Need more Chicago Aussie videos.
I remember the winter of 2011. CPS would close school for few days
Ah, kids these days have it easy [sound effects: senescent grumbling]. I attended Chicago public schools (Nettelhorst and Lake View) for 13 years, 1952-65, and I don’t recall a single weather-related closure.
Yup, my first snow days ever.
Alan Follett LOL that’s where I was attending during the storm 5th grade was wild ladies
The Polar Vortex was horrible, skin burned so much. The only thing I hate is being buried in snow to where you have to dig your car and somehow still make it to work.
Made a lot of extra money that winter. My best year of snow plowing
Living on the outer edges of the city, I have the luxury of a garage for my car, but it opens on to an alley that the city does not plow and that the city does not allow commercial snow removal crews to plow. So I get to unbury from past my garage (turning radius) to the end of the alley. Basically, on heavy snow days, I work remotely, so I can spend a few hours out there with the snow blower.
The front door froze! I couldn't get out.
Enjoying my Chicago winter right now ❤❤❤❤❤
Our very mild winter...so far anyways.
@@olliecrow3547 until now....blizzard going on and frigid temperatures the next few days.
@@guadalupebaptista9757 indeed. I'm loving it! Until the end of February anyways :)
Ha I think you regret saying that now
@@alisyncatenacci7551 no regrets, but I cannot deny it's COLD!
I'm a lifelong Californian. We get heavy snow here but only in high altitudes that are typically unpopulated. The rest of the state remains mild and dry year-round. I remember when I first started my career as a truck driver and went to IL during February. I was blown away by how literally painfully cold it was. After many (real) winters on the road, I truly began to appreciate Los Angeles weather. I went from loathing my home state to never wanting to leave. You can't beat the weather here. Just a cloudy day itself is rare, not to mention rain.
God I remember 1983. The heat in our house broke down. We were SUPER lucky that we had a fireplace and wood in the house. It was still cold as hell in there though.
For all technology with boilers,if they break down or there’s a power blackout and you haven’t a fireplace..it’s harsh.
I’m glad I’ve got a back up system...but then I’m rather bias,l love my fire crackling in the hearth
susan brown Here in Berwyn, we have a bunch of old houses with fireplaces.... that were filled with concrete.
I was in boot camp starting December 27th 1978 then into 1979. Great Lakes Naval base on the edge of lake Michigan. I remember well. We were shoveling the parade grounds at 4:00 am. We recruits weren't allowed outside without a Navy ski mask. I was 17 now 62. I'll never forget.
People may wonder why Chicago is different from other areas of the Midwest. The answer is the Lake. Milwaukee is in the same boat, but for towns more inland, it's not as bad. The Lake adds that extra bit of moisture to increase the snowfall significantly. Buffalo sees this on the other end of the lakes. Also the lakes are flat with nothing to stop the wind, so cold air coming down from Canada hits the city full boar. (And yes, Canada gets it worst, and we stand in awe of anyone who can deal with even worst weather.) I remember the snow in the 70s, and the cold in the 80s. I just spent 8 years in California, so I missed these last few years of hell. But I'm back now. God help me.
Well explained.
But in the summer ...
the people that are sweltering out in The Burbs don't have it like I do... two blocks from the lake! it stays nice and cool when everybody else is sweating bullets!!🌊🌊⛱🌞☀️🌝❗🏖🏊♀️🚴♂️🤽♂️🤽♀️🏊♂️🏄♀️🏄♂️🐟
From 1976 to 1980, it was the greatest trio of winters in not only Chicago but also much of the midwest. A year before, Italy's Mount Etna erupted off of Sicily and that volcano promised the lowest of the low not seen since Mount Tambora in Indonesia caused the Year Without A Summer in the 19th century.
Lived through all of those ... remember taking two days off work to shovel snow off the roof ... nine-foot drifts at the split-level; walked right off the roof and slid to the ground ... now in California, I won't even drive to the snow ... it's fun in your twenties ... but shoveling snow isn't for retirees ...
I’m 60, I remember them all. Before the 76-77 winter ❄️ n one heard of snow days, school districts didn’t have “snow days” in the calendar yet . After lots of days off that winter , they added “snow days” to the school calendar
Jack - just wanted to say that I love your channel and you have more knowledge of the city than most people who have lived here their whole life. Great work.
In 1967, I was in 3rd grade and our grandmother was babysitting us (since my folks were vacationing in Mexico). The snow started falling when we were in school one day. And by the end of the school day, it was so deep that I was sinking down into drifts all the way up to my hips. The next morning, my grandmother said the coolest thing in the world. "Every kid needs a day off of school once in a while. I declare that this is your day. You get to stay home!" I went balistic!! Looking back on it as an adult, school might actually have been closed that day anyway... but in my mind, it was all my grandmother's doing.
Knowing that my parents were out of town, all of the men on the block came over and dug out our driveway. They piled the snow next to the house. It reached the top of the roof, and if our grandmother would have let us... we, three kids, wanted to ride our sleds from the roof down to the lawn. Grandma was cool, but she was not crazy. No sleds were allowed up on the roof.
ahh, to be a kid again...
Thanks for the memories. That was a time when all the neighbors helped each other out. Hell, I remember the men clearing out streets because the plows couldn't make it.
Thanks for sharing your story - I don't have any memories quite like that, but I have many happy memories your story helped elicit XD
Winter of 1976-77 was a beast...not much snow but miserably cold.
Love it. I remember snowmageden. I helped shovel a cab out of the snow near my apartment. Luckily I did not have to drive that day. Love the sound effects, and the text font!
If it happens we gotta go out together and make a couple videos about it.
Watching this from Phoenix, Arizona and can’t imagine what these winters would be like 🥶🥶
I love all the research you put into your videos. It's great how you integrate clips from other sources. Well done !
I was 9 years old in Chicago during the 1967 snow storm. My dad worked for the railroad and they filled every south bound boxcar with snow because Chicago ran out of places to put it. Kids down south got to see snow for the first time and Chicago got rid of some of it's snow surplus.
In Canada where I live, throughout all winter, everyday is -30 Celsius, or -22 Fahrenheit, and we have no problem sometimes we fuck around and wear out spring jackets if we don’t feel like wearing much
Remember those 70's and early 80's winters in Iowa too. We had a shitload of snow in 82-3-4, I remember some HUGE drifts.
wait five minutes it will change.
hahaha... sooooo true,!
For the worse
79.1” of snowfall might be double the average in Chicago, but it’s 57.16” less than the average in my town.
Today and tomorrow are competing for that title. Just cold though, no snow.
Great video! I was a kid when these late 70's winter storms of snowy hell happened - I lived 80 miles east of Chicago in Southwest Michigan - we had so much snow that we had to dig a tunnel from the house to the driveway (we lived in the country).
You have a great channel. Fantastic work. Been watching a ton of your vids with my son.
i live in australia and i literally cannot comprehend this. i freeze at 40F, which is pretty much the coldest it ever gets where i live but only at night. it would never be less than 50F at any time of daylight during the year.
I have lived in Chicago since the 1950's and remember each one of these extreme winters.
As they say, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
However, if you can't stand the snow and cold, get out of Chicago.
O
You're right I'm getting out of this state----
I'm going to Wisconsin
Peter the Piper
Wisconsin is colder in the winter, has more snow, but fewer corrupt politicians.
@@monstersofthemidway7125 I was kind of joking about the weather but I went up there twice just for a day each and the people were very very nice as opposed to these cocksuckers
I couldn’t stand the idiot politicians in Illinois. So I left.
As a Brazilian, I truly don't know why a place like Chicago is inhabited and so prosperous!
One reason that Chicago is prosperous is because they are and have been a shipping hub for for freight/goods being shipped on trains (in the 1800-1900s) and now planes. They prospered early on because geographically they are one of the first big cities outside of the Great Plains and so cattle/crops were being shipped/sold to Chicago and Chicago acted like an intersection to the rest of the north/eastern seaboard.
As a side note, it is a fact that ethnicities/people groups historically originating from colder climates have higher IQ. Therefor they are more prosperous. The scientific arguement for why iq is higher in these people Is because colder weather naturally selects for higher IQ. Colder climates require human beings to be forwad thinking, have good planning skills and good survival skills by finding creative ways to survive. The pressures of the environment allow for them to hunt differently, make clothing, use different forms of housing and building material, etc.. average iq by region:
goo.gl/images/8f2fJ8
I used to live in Oak Park right outside Chicago. Fun snow memories, even if the winter could make a big hassle. Fun fact, the townhouse I lived in even had a leaky roof! good video and I love your channel
Chicago Aussie Well thats sorta a plus and minus, lol
Keep up the good work
Oak Park is still nice. But there's a lot of economic development that's shifting it from more of a suburban-vibe to metropolitan. I grew up in Oak Park but now live in Evanston - but still work in Oak Park. It's been a little sad watching the town transform from what I remember and found so nostalgic. In the past several years they have built a number of very tall condo complexes in the downtown area. I get it, Oak Park is great...everyone wants to live there.
Well, I was there as a kid for the winters in the late 1970's--car locks freezing, etc. The best part was when spring started, followed by beautiful summers.
I can feel you! I can see that it's very difficult for you to speak.
I went out on Jan 1st when it was -22 degree Celsius. It was freaking freezing and windy!
Hats-off to you for filming this outside.
Aussie folks and Chicago! Two things I love! New subscriber!
I was a kid during those winters in the 70s, and I'll never forget them, especially the blizzard of 79. But I'd have to say that the big snow of 67 had the biggest impact of my life. I was conceived during it.
Love your channel!
How do you not have more subs, your production value is to high for your sub count
I totally recall the Groundhog Day 2011 snowstorm. I prayed my power wouldn't go out, which in turn would have shut everything down, including the heat. Wind gusts felt like my all brick house was being body slammed by King Kong.
Thank you keep up the good work. We have brutal summers to
So true, Keith. I'll never forget the January snow of 1967. Incredible! Just amazing - I was 16 (giving aay my age, here), and recall a time of both trouble with the snow, and fun (just because I was so young), and went out to shovel this amazingly deep snow. My Dad probably thought it was fine that I went out to do this, and I admit it was actually fun for awhile, (until I grew tired) but I sure wouldn't say that now! (I don't think I'm much likely to build a snow fort in the back yard these days).
The Winters in the late 70's were brutal. In 1979 I made a $100 shoveling snow. In one day. My arms felt like noodles. It took several days to recover. I was 16 years old. Back in the day!
This is so amazing
On December 7 1967 my Dad moved us up to Chicago. We couldn't get in our new house because the locks were all frozen. The house was half covered with snow drifts. I was 7 and my brother was 6. Being from North Carolina we had never seen anything like this before. My Dad then drove us to Grandma's house on the near North side and we stayed there that night.Needless to say, I lived in Chicago 20 years before I moved to Atlanta. I still love Chicago and will always call it "home."
I remember those day's I was born and raised up in Chicago. Was born in the 50's now living in Arkansas but I missed those snow day's at Christmas time I tried to watch all of the snow videos up in Chicago Well keep up the good work. Will be watching more of your video's
Wow my travel anxiety just went to 100+ level watching this lol. I’m might to be traveling from San Francisco to NYC by train during early January 2019 and there is a 6 hour stop-over in Chicago but I think I might have to look into flying, that snow is making me anxious lol. Keep up the good work! I’ve been binge watching all weekend. Your videos are very educational and give great insight into this magical and mysterious city. 👍🏻😊
If your traveling through Chicago in January 2019, you should know that (with the exception of the years highlighted) our snowfall is pretty inconsistent in recent years. This year, it's only snowed enough to require shoveling twice so far. Mid-December 2018, and there's no snow on the ground. It's still cold, but you can get good food to eat and see some of downtown without spending much time at all in the cold. If you haven't been to Chicago, it's worth even a 6-hour visit for the experience of our city.
Lived through the '78-'79 winter (actually, everything from 1953 to 2003). Yes, it was a nightmare. People riding the "L" in between the cars (outside). I predicted that if the mayor didn't muster every available city worker to clear the "L" tracks, there would be hell to pay -he didn't... Remember that -83 windchill as well. Needed to go to Dominic's (defunct super market chain). Put on two pairs of blue jeans, many top layers and trusty winter coat. Covered face with Vaseline. Made out O.K. -Beat the "Hawk". P.S. Funny thing about the '67 "Big Snow", -The day before it was close to 60 degrees, people riding in cars with the top down. I seem to remember it was closer to April than January. Oh well, they say the memory is the second thing that goes...
Not so much misspell as mispronounce: "Fitzpatrick" or just "Kirk". Is your wife related to the great Clayton Kirkpatrick (former editor of the Chicago Tribune from 1969 to 1979)? My people are from downstate (Marion and Sesser, IL). My Great-Uncle Dr. Dow Kirkpatrick was Pastor of Evanston Methodist church but got run out of town after hosting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and letting Hippies crash in the church. Hope your luck in Chicago is better than mine was.
O
I LIVE IN CHICAGO AND JUST CAME ACROSS YOUR CHANNEL.. AND AM A NEW SUB...GREAT JOB..👌
I am a native of Chicago, for seven years! My father began a job chasing career, and we began our southern trek. By the time I was eleven years old, we had settled in Charlotte NC. Snow is only a problem in the dead of winter. Usually because a days snow melts by night, and the next morning the roads and everything else is covered in ice.
Great video ,,very informative, ,thanks
I still remember that Groundhog Day Blizzard and the Polar Vortex they were torture😣😣😣. I remember having to take my mom who is in a wheelchair to get her check from this place out in Edgebrook and after stopping at Happy Foods to get my Quiche we took the long way home by taking Metra Milwaukee District North Line to Union Station and walking down to Ogilvie Transportation Center and take Metra Union Pacific North Line to Davis Stop in Downtown Evanston and take the CTA Bus going towards Howard Street to get back home. After that my mom stayed home during the winter lol.
I was commuting between Oak Park and Evanston during the Polar Vortex winter using public transportation (Metra/CTA, depending). It was hell in the beginning, but it toughened me up quick. Added benefit of getting some great arm strength from all the shoveling! lol
The 70s and 80s winters were the best. Now it’s too warm for school closing fun. I was only aged 1 and in the hospital during the 1967 snow. My mother was stranded at the hospital and my father had to leave his car and walk.
another job well done, youngen. i used to be able to say that i had lived through the worst weather in chicago history. i missed 2011, as i was in san diego at the time. i had a flight back to chicago scheduled for that week. i decided mid-50s would provide a better experience, then below 0.
Chicago Aussie, as i recall, it was the correct move.
1976-1977.I worked for natural gas co.contractor.We worked almost 24-7 with broken mains &services. We had minus 6d.&snow in N.J. New York harbor was frozen over.😟
I was 9 years old for the 2013-2014 Chicago winter and I remember loving walking to school through a heavy blizzard of blinding snow then coming back home again to play in the backyard with the snow that reached up to my garage’s roof. I remember spending hours building a small cave in the snow and then spending even more hours pretending that by building this, this was me surviving in the North Pole. I remember a long car ride on lake shore drive looking out of the window to see snow falling on all of the tall buildings while listening to Let it Snow on the radio.
I remember the winter of 1978-9. I was up in Chicago for a meeting of the key staff of the Boy Scout camp where I worked in the summer. After the meeting, several of us went up to Boulder Junction, Wisconsin, for a few days, returning to Oshkosh, where I was on December 31st. I had an Amtrak train to catch in Milwaukee, with a connection to the train to Boston in Chicago. I got a ride with Don, one of the guys from Milwaukee, and we left early, about 8 a.m., for the 90 mile drive. It started to snow, and the wind was blowing the snow across the road like sand, and the plows were out. By the time we reached Milwaukee, only one lane of the highway was open and visibility was getting bad. Don remarked he had never seen it snow this hard. He dropped me off at the depot and I scurried inside to get out of the wind. My train left on time, and as we headed to Chicago I noticed it was "white out" conditions outside -- I could see nothing of the countryside we passed.
In Chicago I learned that the Lake Shore to New York and Boston was delayed a half hour for a train from the west. I poked my nose out onto Clinton Street and immediately withdrew, as the snow felt like needles on bare skin. When the train left, I went to the vestibule to take pictures, but the snow was so thick there was nothing to see more than a track or two away, and the snow lay deep on the roofs of the cars. I walked back to my coach and heard a woman say, "I'm lucky I got this seat to New York. I called O'Hare this morning and they said they were shut down and didn't think they'd be open tomorrow, either." We were in Cleveland at midnight to welcome 1979.
I stayed a few days in Boston, then went down to New Orleans, and a week later I returned to Chicago to catch the Floridian back to Jacksonville. (I like traveling by train.) I stopped in to see a friend on the North Side off Clark. I was amazed -- the main streets were open, but the side streets were unplowed. People had shoveled trenches on the sidewalks to reach their homes. There were huge mounds of snow along the curbs of North Clark, and narrow, deep canyons where the crosswalks and bus stops were. And everyone was blaming the mess on Bilandic. A far bigger storm hit later in January, the one you mention, but there were several big snows that winter of the "Bilandic Blizzards" and Jane Byrne capitalized on the hapless Bilandic, the accidental mayor.
A postscript to this long comment: There was a piece in the Chicago Tribune in late July stating that the some of the snows of winter were still in the area. It had been dumped into abandoned quarries near Harvey, and against the south wall of one of these deep stone pits was a mound of dirty gray snow, protected from the heat and sun by being there.
I went
Chicago Aussie Well, I was traveling by train. Rail tends to be less affected by weather, and I was traveling away from the blizzard.
I was born and raised in Chicago and remember the brutality of the winters. When I was 39 I was given the opportunity to move to New Jersey. I jumped at the chance because Jersey is generally 10 degrees warmer. I now live in California and do not miss winter at all. I really enjoy your videos and hope you keep on making them.
new Jersey feels like its 20 degrees warmer NJ feels downright tropical compared to Chicago
Haha, I was born in the Chicago area and then moved to Jersey when I was 2, making it where my first hometown ever was. Then I moved back into the Chicago area when I was nearly 7. Beautiful state!
I can't imagine living without seasons. It's worth the freezing winters and humid summers just to have them.
Well done!
during groundhog day snowmageddon, the chicago subreddit changed its banner to a snowy looking godzilla overtaking the city, and a giant snowball fight was planned for grant park. i went to that snowball fight briefly and it was fun! really hard to walk around with the snow reaching above my knees though.
well, there's still time for a february blizzard. lol
J
Well done video. I lived through all those winters and your info is accurate. Xmas eve 1983 was about as cold as I can remember. Had to carry my little schnauzer out to the yard and watch over her. The wind was so terrible and I didn't want to lose her.
Also, Feb 1, 2011 blizzard was forecast at least 5 days in advance. People driving on LSD were very foolish to be driving when the storm was predicted so far in advance. Winters of '77 through '79 were snowy and very cold and changed the city's political history.
Many records were broken for cold in the midwest around Feb 1-3, 1996, also.
I've been in Austin, Texas since 1986, I was born and raised in Chicago. I lived through the '67 storm and all of the late 70's storms. Worst ever for me was January 1982.....it didn't get above zero from the 7th until the 17th. My band played The Cubby Bear on January 10th. That night it got down to -26 with a wind chill of -81.........screw that!!!!!! We were stuck there until the middle of the next day. I don't really miss it..... Seriously ....you can't even breath in that type of cold. It was DEADLY!!!
Seems like i've been in every major snow storm in Chicago from 1978 to present even though i live out of state a few times.
I hired on the railroad Sept 2013. I take trains to Chicago. The winter of 13-14 was bad. We got a huge increase in business and we had trains everywhere. Backed up all the way to the east coast waiting to go west. I was told by old heads that many years ago when there was a lot of snow in Chicago, the railroads and the city would work together. Dump a lot of snow into hopper railcars and send them south to melt.
Wow...we went to school in those days, I remember all of those records.
78/79 winter was brutal my Christmas break lasted until mid to late January. I delivered the Sun-Times with a sled the memories so now I live in Florida hope I never see SNOW again
Germany also had the record winter 1978/79.
Looks like the jet stream was pretty far south during the wintertime of the northern hemisphere.
I took a Flight in DEZ.24 1979 Form Frankfurt Tochter Chicago,a very bad Blizzard happen on O Hare,i arraived 12 hours later in Oshkosh Wisconsin.
Never Seen so much Snow before
I was just learning to drive during the polar vortex, prepared me for many future snow driving events!
Snowmageddon was my last winter in Chicago(born here) before moving to Arizona- hoping to get back ASAP!!
So you want to move back to Chicago from Arizona? I'll be visiting Chicago in May to check it out (from Cali)
My husband was born & raised in highland park. His fathers mothers family owned land on ridge road that they lost most of in the depression. He sold the last of it 10 years ago.
He misses it even the weather
Fun fact about that 1985 blast. Though not the worst in terms of duration, it was the coldest arctic blast for much of the southern U.S. The information from this video talked about January 20th when Chicago was -27F and Atlanta was 7F. But Atlanta dropped down to -8F the next day. Only February 1899 was colder at -9F. North Carolina had its coldest temperature ever at -34F at Mt. Mitchell with temps in the -10s and -20s common all across southern Appalachia. Twas quite the arctic blast.
The 2019-20 winter definitely ranks on this
You mean 2018-2019?
Just stumbled upon your channel! I love it and am excited to check all your videos out about Chicago! I hope you feel welcomed here :) Cheers!
Not to start a pissing match, but the polar vortex in Minneapolis was -35 F and sub zero temps for most of January is common.
Dec 83 wasn't the only winter with -82 wind chill. I moved from Chicago in Jun 83. Winter of 82/83 was just as bad and shut everything down. I moved to AR and Dec 83 was the coldest winter I've ever known here in AR. The wind chill dropped to -54. Yes, I remember the blizzard of 67. Oh what fun for us kids. Blizzard of 78/79 I had 2 little ones and oops, it was so cold that winter, had another one by Nov.'s end! lol
You’re churning some amazing videos!! Where are you shooting this video from?
Chicago Aussie sorry, I meant location
It was AWESOME being a kid at that time!😊
I LOVE MY CHICAGO!!! SNOW AND ALL!! I was born here in 1967 and FONDLY remember the BLIZZARD OF'79😨 My siblings and I were jumping off our roofs into snow banks, it was the best!! Like I said "I LOVE MY CHICAGO!!"
K Fillipi, You are wrong!
Just kidding, my wife and I agree with you. We live in Phoenix and miss the four seasons we experienced for many years in Chicago. (Actually, Chicago SUMMERS can sometimes be more uncomfortable than winters there...from an adult's perspective.)
Think we'll move to northern AZ where I can jam with another ex-Chicagoan (grade school alumnus).
@@boomer1579 thanks!! And your absolutely right about our summers! But now this -27 is krazy!! Bet you dont miss it now😅!! Thanks again!!
@@KFilippi2525 You're right again, thanks!
Ah, yes, Christmas Eve 1983. I remember crossing what was then the IBM Plaza with the wind chill a bracing minus 83. That’s when California started to sound real good.
IBM Plaza....the home of "The Hawk"
My two worst winters in Chicago, were April of 1975, and January of 1982. I was going to go to San Francisco on Saturday the 15th of April 1975. On the Wednesday before it stated snowing at 11:00am. We closed Pioneer Bank at noon. I lived 10 blocks away, it took 1 hour and forty-five minutes to walk home. In 1981 We had a wind chill of -60. I had bought a new Thunderbird, and all the wheel covers fell off that night.
Born in 81 in Chicago so thankfully missed those 2 brutal winters of 77/78...can’t really say so for my parents who were dating at the time...must have sucked for them, being my mom is from the Caribbean and came to Roosevelt for university...brrrrr
I went cross country skiing and will probably do it again ! I also went on a 10 miles hike on an 8 degree day.....
Some of those crazy Chicago snowfall days were my favorite winter days as a kid. Those were the days we were able to build giant snow tunnels in the snow drifts. We all wore snowsuits and barely noticed the cold. Of course, we weren't aware of the danger of frostbite or being crushed inside a snow drift by passing vehicles.
Just for the record, I have never heard the term "snowpocalypse". The 2011 snow storm was always referred to as "snowmaggedon" by the news media and everyone I ever talked to in the western burbs.
True enough.
I remember the 2013-14 Winter. Even with it being so bad, my dad was forced to go to work at his trucking sites in order to make money during the winter. It was blowing really hard when he had finished work one day, but he had to buy something from the Target next to the Trucking company, so he did.
The earliest blizzard I remember is the storm of 78/79. As a child it was a exciting but it was crazy.
Winter of '67, the snow was piled so high in our back yard you could only see the roof of our garage. School was cancelled, so the back yard hosted many a spirited snowball fight for days.
Winter of '76, while home for winter break at college in Ohio, I was foolishly walking between cars of a moving elevated train. A sudden jolt of the train caused my eyeglasses to fall from my frozen face and shatter to pieces. When I returned to school, there was more snow in Oberlin, Ohio than even the '67 blizzard had dropped on Chicago.
Winter of '79, I was working in the Loop and, while the snow was bad, I never missed a day of work, due to the CTA managing to keep what is now the Red Line L running. Plus, I lived near the originating point of three bus lines, so I almost always got a seat if the L was running late. One evening while on a crowded bus heading home, I witnessed a poor woman step off the bus and completely disappear into a pile of snow. The quick thinking driver jumped off the bus and rescued her.
And yes, I voted for Jane Byrne :)
Winter of '82, I did some last-minute Christmas shopping on State Street. It was so unbelievably cold the space heaters that the department stores had set up to supplement the useless central heating barely made a dent in the cold. My heart went out to the folks having to work in those stores. For me, the lines were short or non-existent, so shopping was a breeze.
Snowpocalypse 2013, well...I was and still am in San Diego, CA. The best thing about beating your head against the wall repeatedly is that it feels so good when you stop. :)
Truth be told, I miss Chicago winters; they can be invigorating. And, there's still a pro football team there. :)
Ugh, no thank you. I lived a decade in DFW and that was the coldest, as well as the hottest place I've ever lived. We had 20 to 30 snow / ice days during that ten year period. Outside of that, I've never lived anyplace with lows below freezing.
I well remember the blizzard of 1967 and tobogganing off of the rectory sun porch nearby!
Chicago = watch the weather forecast 2 x daily! Florida = watch the weekly forecast to make sure no hurricane, weather same as day before.
B
Cool video!