The Chicago Blizzard

Chicago experienced its worst snowstorm on record on January 26-27, 1967. The snow began at 5:02 a.m. on Thursday, January 26, and by 10:10 a.m. the next day, the city had received a record 23.0 inches of snowfall from a storm. High winds caused significant blowing, with drifts of 4 to 6 feet common throughout the area.

The high temperature was a record 65°F just two days before the storm, and the low was 44°F. However, on January 25, a cold front passed through the upper Midwest, replacing the warm weather. Dew points in the 50s and 60s provided ample moisture over the Southern Plains and Gulf Coast states, while high pressure centered over Lake Superior and southern Ontario kept cold, dry air moving over the Great Lakes. Winds howled off Lake Michigan as a result of the high and low pressure over the Ohio Valley.

By noon, there was about 8 inches of snow on the ground, and O'Hare airport was closed. Although some schools and businesses released students and employees early, the commute home remained hazardous. By Friday morning, Chicago had come to a halt, with 20,000 cars and 1,100 CTA buses stranded. Helicopters dropped off medical supplies at hospitals, as well as food and blankets for stranded motorists. At least a dozen babies were born at home, though some mothers were transported to hospitals by sled, bulldozer, and snowplow.

Chicago had begun to dig itself out by January 28. Although CTA buses were running on most lines, abandoned vehicles hampered cleanup, and snow had to be hauled to the Chicago River by dump truck. Railcars of snow were even delivered to Fort Myers Beach, Florida, after Terri Hodson, a 13-year-old girl who had never seen snow before, wrote a letter to the president of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.

Although O'Hare Airport reopened around midnight on Monday, January 30, most schools did not reopen until Tuesday. In the end, 60 people died in the Chicago area, and business losses were estimated to be $150 million (equivalent to $1.19 billion today). The snowstorm caused the most disruption to Chicago commerce and transportation since the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

Type: Blizzard with thunderstorms
Formed: January 26, 1967
Duration: 29 hours
Dissipated: January 27, 1967
Casualties: 26 deaths in Chicago, 60 in region
Damage: $150 million (1967 dollars); all transportation stopped
Areas affected: Northeastern Illinois and Northwestern Indiana