Remembering the Great Blizzard of 1978

44 years ago today, Ohio was in the midst of one of the worst winter storms to ever hit the state.

It was the Great Blizzard of 1978. 

It started January 25, but was at its worst on the 26th, and it finally eased up by January 27 that year.

The National Weather Service called it a Severe Blizzard, which is the worst of the winter storms.

Around the state, one to three feet of snow fell.

Winds averaged between fifty and seventy miles per hour, creating snowdrifts as deep as twenty-five feet. 

With temperatures already hovering near zero, the wind chill was deadly, reaching sixty degrees below zero. 

Thousands of people were stranded in their cars and in their homes. 

Fifty-one people died from the storm in the State of Ohio.