Was there more snow in winters past? Or are we simply subject to the phenomenon that makes everything look bigger from a child's-eye view (or memory)? We've seen nearly 50 inches of snowfall so far this season, but we aren't yet in the record books. A Detroit News article about the area's winter weather history recalls snow and ice storms going back to the turn of the twentieth century. The story reminds us of the major snowfalls in the years since 1950. Perhaps you recall shoveling out from under some of these record-breakers:
- Dec. 1-2, 1974 - 19.2"
- Jan. 26-27, 1978 - 19.0"
- Dec. 19-20, 1973 - 11.2"
- Jan. 13-14, 1992 - 11.1"
- Feb. 25-26, 1965 - 11.0"
- Jan. 25-26, 1978 - 9.7"
You can read the entire feature about extreme winter weather in Detroit area history by clicking here.
Meanwhile, enjoy this photo from November 1966, when the first snowfall of the season provided enough raw material for the Mowat kids and their neighborhood friends to build this 9-foot-tall snowman in the front yard of their home on Romeo St. Those were the days!
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This is so true. I used to think that it was the childs perspective, but I am glad you included those sample snow fall totals, now I know that I wasn't dreaming about all the snow in the 1970's as a kid!
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