VicV

2 hours ago, uncle W said:

that evening when the snow was falling I was watching Alan Kasper and he was concerned the snow rain line was moving south so he upped his totals to 8" when everyone else was 3" over to rain...it ended up 14" ending as a mix...my best busts are March 3rd 1960 and February 9th 1969...

I would also add the Dec 11-12 1960 storm as a positive bust as the forecast was 3 to 5 inches and the total for CPK was 15.2 and I had about 20 inches in Brooklyn .

Vic V

My first interest in weather started with the March 1956 snow storm when the NYC schools were closed - I was 9 years old. My interest was further increased with the March 1960 blizzard but was firmly cemented with the surprise Dec 1960 blizzard. From that point on I was hooked, especially with the Jan and Feb snowstorms coming right after the Dec storm.  It's not abated since.

Vic V

Bensonhurst Brooklyn - Snow moderate to heavy , temp at 32, about 1 inch on the sidewalk.

Vic V.

For nycemt123

Picture does not do justice to the intensity - Cameron Ct

Vic V

Here in Brooklyn - Bensonhurst 66th St and 17th Ave - white out condition with heavy snow and very strong gusting winds. Temp around 22 degrees. This is the worst of the storm so far . Reminiscent of the Boxing Day storm. Won't go out to clear snow until conditions get better.

Vic V

I would pick the Dec 23 1963 storm which dropped 6 inches of snow and had temps mostly in the 20's for NYC and Brooklyn. 

I have many moments to remember and the morning of March 3rd 1960 is right up there with the best...I woke up to light snow and took a walk around my block...I listened to the forecast on television and it said snow turning to rain with moderating temperatures...the temperature was 26 and the snow was starting to drift by the curb...I thought it was to cold to change to rain...A secondary low was forming off the coast and it wasn't forecast...I walked to school and at lunch time there was an all out blizzard raging...That moment thinking how in the world can this change to rain stands out in my mind...At the time I was wishing it wouldn't and had no clue what was happening...

As with Uncle, I have had many memories since I have been following the weather since I was 11 or 12 (1958). But the event that caused me to become a lifetime follower of the weather was the Dec 11, 12 1960 snow storm . That storm was forecast to drop 2 to 4 inches but ended up dumping about 20 inches in Brooklyn (Bushwick-Ridgewood) where I lived at the time. I can vividly recall waking up to go to school - it was a Monday - and seeing a wall of white outside my window with a strong and gusty wind. It became bitterly cold.  I saw my father trying to dig out his car for work but eventually giving up. It was the only time I can recall my father not making it to work. Many great storms to follow - Donna, snowstorms of 1978,1983,1993,2010, etc and the great 1996 blizzard but for me it all started in Dec 1960.

NYC's almanac for 1/13.

Highest max. Lowest max. Highest min. Lowest min. Max. Precipitation....snowfall....est. max snow depth...

68 in 1932.......8 in 1912.....56 in 1932......-3 in 1912.....1.44" in 1892.....11.5" in 1964..........17" in 1996

64 in 1890.......9 in 1914.....45 in 2007......-3 in 1914.....1.22" in 1948.......7.8" in 1939..........13" in 1964

62 in 1972.....14 in 1886.....44 in 1898.......2 in 1886.....1.11" in 1888.......5.8" in 1982............8" in 2011

61 in 1995.....16 in 1893.....44 in 1972.......5 in 1981.....1.06" in 1915.......3.0" in 1978............8" in 1948

59 in 2005.....18 in 1918.....43 in 2006.......6 in 1918.....1.00" in 1978.......2.2" in 1948............8" in 1954

2009...

http://nycsubway.org/perl/show?95773

1982 in Brooklyn...

http://www.nycsubway.../perl/show?4763

it was 62 degrees at midnight in 1972...It was the high for both the 13th/14th...

today is the anniversary of the blizzard of 1964...A very underrated snowstorm...

"...A very underrated snowstorm"

I completely agree. I then was 17 and working as a mail and messenger clerk for AT&T at 195 Broadway, my first job. That day my supervisor asked me to make two trips to 140 West St, then NY Tellephone, which made me walk into the teeth of a powerful wind field. One my second trip a man walking beside me was blown off his feet on Fulton St. as I had to hold on to railings along the way not to go down myself. It was bitterly cold with temps around 20 degrees if I remember correctly and going down into the teens. 

After the second trip my supervisor asked me to make a thrid trip and for the only time in my 45 years of work that followed I refused which could have led to my being fired. 

But what I remember most was late that night I was walking home from the F train, then on McDonald Ave in Brooklyn, and for the only time in my life I became aware that the cold and wind was becoming a threat to my safety. I was very happy to get home

As you say, a very underated storm and one of the few true blizzards I have experienced.

NYC's almanac for 1/13.

Highest max. Lowest max. Highest min. Lowest min. Max. Precipitation...snowfall..

68 in 1932.......8 in 1912.....56 in 1932......-3 in 1912.....1.44" in 1892.....11.5" in 1964

64 in 1890.......9 in 1914.....45 in 2007......-3 in 1914.....1.22" in 1948.......7.8" in 1939

62 in 1972.....14 in 1886.....44 in 1898.......2 in 1886.....1.11" in 1888.......5.8" in 1982

61 in 1995.....16 in 1893.....44 in 1972.......5 in 1981.....1.06" in 1915.......3.0" in 1978

59 in 2005.....18 in 1918.....43 in 2006.......6 in 1918.....1.00" in 1978.......2.2" in 1948

1982 in Brooklyn...

http://www.nycsubway...org/perl/show?4763

today is the anniversary of the blizzard of 1964...A very underrated snowstorm...

You are correct - a very much underrated storm. I was working at AT&T on Fulton St in lower Manhattan as a mail room messenger and had to make several deliveries in the middle of the storm. The wind was very strong in lower Manhattan reminiscent of the Boxing day storm. During my third delivery I was struggling against the wind, holding on to whatever I could find to keep from falling down, when a gust of wind knocked down someone walking along side of me. I had to help him to his feet . When I got back to the office I was told to make a fourth trip. For the only time in my life I refused a direct order even though I could have been fired. My boss looked out at the storm and said forget about it.

A very underrated storm.

Vic V

One drawback to having such an array of reliable models these days (for the most part) is we rarely get surprises like that anymore. But there also must have been busts the other way too back then. I wasn't alive but were there any storms that were forecast to be big blizzards that didn't happen? Say pre-78...

You are right about busts going the other way. I seem to remember that busts going the 'wrong' way far outpaced the other way busts. I can remember two wrong way busts that same winter of 1960-61 . One called for a ten inch storm in January 1961 but the storm went out to sea so we got 3 to 4 inches - a partial bust. But we had a true bust when, I think this was in late February, we were supposed to go from rain to snow with a lot of accumulation. I remember that the temperature was in the mid 40's for the 6 o'clock news and I stayed up until the 11 pm news and the temp was 47 when it was supposed to crash. I woke up around 3 am and it was pouring rain and mild. A really big disappointment.Many more would follow over the years.

And I also agree that part of the fun was the uncertainty which was much more prevalent than today with the much improved short term forecasting capabilities we now have.

Vic V

wow that was great...Thanks for posting it...It was a great storm... I was 11 going on 12...A few days later there was the plane crash in Brooklyn and Staten Island...Snow piles lasted i9nto the first week in January only to return on the 20th...I wonder if we ever will see a cold stretch like the one that year...16 consecutive days with a max 29 or lower with minimums 15 or lower...

That video sure brings back memories. Dec 1960 is still my favorite storm. I was 14 living in Bushwick Brooklyn and remember the forecast was for 2 to 4 inches. Starting snowing around 2 PM which was Sunday dinner time for us. I went to a friends apartment that evening and on the way home at around 9 PM I noticed the snow picking up in intensity. It was cold and for the first time ever I noticed the reflections of light in the crystals on the snow on the ground from the street lights.

Early next morning, a Monday, I awoke to an unbelievable scene of white out conditions and snow covering the front fenders of parked cars - the key indicator that a really big storm was upon us like the previous March snowstorm. Finally, I can still see my father trying to dig out his car to go to work and me opening my window to yell at him that was crazy. I thought my father would not take lightly to my criticism but to my astonishment he dropped the shovel and replied - 'your right' and for the only time I can remember he did not get to work.

As you pointed out that was the start of a terrific winter that shut down a bit early.

Vic V