Growing up in New York City, snow days were quite uncommon. The constant commotion of the city meant that when snow did come around, the salt trucks had been stocked and ready for a week, making sure that all five boroughs could run to their fullest capacity. Before climate change really started to pick up in the city, we typically had pretty snow-filled winters, but there are two that stick to the memory of most long-time residents: the blizzards of 1996 and 2004. Because of many high-pressure air systems coming down from Canada, much of the Northeast is continually subjected to Nor’easter events, bringing either snow, rain, or both.
The blizzard of ‘96 was particularly troubling for locals, as it not only lasted two straight days(January 6th-8th), but also dropped 19-31 inches of snow on the tri-state area. These, paired with high-speed winds from the nor’easter, whipped all this snow into drifts at least 5 feet high, ultimately killing three and resulting in over 50 insurance claims filed. I wasn’t around for this blizzard, but older folks that I’ve talked to about it say that even though there was effective and accurate forecasting, the snow still fell at such a rate that much of the public transport was forced to a standstill for hours at a time. This meant not only a drastic loss in funding for the city, but also for families depending on every paycheck to get by. There was also a drastic disparity in the efficiency of street clearing based on borough and neighborhood. Historically, most of Manhattan is cleared up faster than outer boroughs like The Bronx or Brooklyn, especially neighborhoods in a higher tax bracket. This has only continued into more recent memory, with some buildings even on the same street being cleared much earlier than others. These blizzards may have been substantial, but they also proved great fun for adults and children alike! Getting to go play in the high snowdrifts is always a fond memory to look back on!
Sources:
Service Assessment: Blizzard of ‘96, Department of Commerce
https://preview.weather.gov/media/publications/assessments/bz-mrg.pdf
Photos of Blizzard of ‘96
https://www.nydailynews.com/2023/01/07/blizzard-of-1996-in-new-york-city/
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