Photographs and text by Stephen Harmon
The Blizzard of February 1983 raged for two days in early February, but when it stopped the UWS, indeed the entire City, was a magical place. Everyone seemed to be happy, friendly and in a good mood. Kids went sleigh ridding in Central Park and many adults cross country skied down Broadway and other streets. Cars were buried in snow up to their roofs, but no one minded digging out. Bethesda Fountain looked like a Currier & Ives print. It was a wonderful few days.
Do you remember? Tell us your stories in the comments.
My mother’s surprise milestone birthday party was scheduled for that weekend (we lived in the suburbs). My father was not one for planning such things but had done a great job of organizing it and keeping it a secret, all for the whole thing to be called off.
My whole family has winter birthdays but as a result, we now have all weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, etc. in warmer weather.
I remember February 2003. That was a big one.
Back when you were allowed to walk/skate/ski on the frozen ice of the lake in CP.
No more, since Bloomberg.
Nah, it must have been de Blasio.
Don’t think you can blame someone for not being allowed to skate on frozen Central Park ponds. Instead blame global warming. Ponds are rarely frozen long enough to support skating and have been that way for over 30 years.
“No one at the Parks Department is sure as to exactly when ice skating was made verboten on their lakes.–that’s the best info I’ve been able to find. Skating venues were important to Bloomberg; he opened more rinks. I don’t think he’s to blame for closing the Central Park Late to skating but if you can link to proof of that, I’ll be happy to read it.
Vaguely remember, as we used to have a lot of blizzards back then. I was probably having drinks at Teacher’s Too.
My late first husband remained upset 40 years later that in 1947 he had been scheduled to be in studio audience of the the Howdy Doody Show and a blizzard meant thay could not come to the city from Huntington.
I was a “Peanut” in the Peanut Gallery of that show in the 40s.
My mother’s cousin’s husband was a technician on that show and got me on once, when I was about 6. They kept wanting me to get to the front of the group so I’d be clearly on camera, which I didn’t get. I preferred to hang out in the back and watch what was going on. And Clarabelle the Clown was not particularly nice.
My dad remembers that blizzard. The snow went up to their third floor apartment
So it snowed 30ish feet? That seems unlikely…
Agree with Gretchen—vague memory of this—remember ‘96 much better when the snow was carted to the river—wow Teachers Too—now there’s a memory!
My parents’ wedding was canceled because of the blizzard! Luckily, the catering hall was available the following week!
That blizzard left an indelilble memory with me. That winter our daughter was almost three years old and we had an appointment with her pediatrician on the eastside early that morning. No cabs on the avenues and we couldn’t use a stroller because so few sidewalks had been shoveled so we bundled her up in her snowsuit and walked from West 71st to W 86th Street and then took the crosstown bus to Park Avenue. It took us almost 90 minutes to make the appointment but everyone else had either cancelled or were equally slow getting to Dr. Murphy’s office. Later we found a cab on Park Avenue and rode home in style. Some of the snowdrifts were taller than our almost three year old.
I remember trying to get from Greenwich Village to Brooklyn on the subway. Of course several lines were not running and little to no information was available. We finally took an F train and then had to walk about 2 miles in heavy and deep snow once in Brooklyn. That Sunday after the storm was ad others have described.
I rember 47 well Schols were closed for a week I lived on West 87 st and a car did not come down the block for many days. we built a snow fort in the middle of the street and had the best time . the piles of snow lasted for about 3 weeks Often how grocery stores got deliveries BUt at 7 what child cared.
Snow bound MTA buses were abandoned in the middle of avenues!
Hey, what about the blizzard of December 1948, or was it ‘49? I was a child in Bklyn, where Xmas holidays were very very white.
My husband was stuck in an elevator over the weekend and then I went into labor. We had to walk to the hospital!
Fresh out of B school, we left the city for an off-site advertising training program in Tarrytown. We finished, but couldn’t get home because we were snowed in, so joined a movie group that was stranded, too. At least we had fun watching some new movies!
In 1983 I was working in Montefiore Hospital. Those of us who could make it to work got free lunch in the employee’s cafeteria, and t-shirts saying “I survived the blizzard of 1983 at Montefiore.”
I remember the blizzard in the mid-nineties (somebody mentioned ’96). Must have been three feet of snow that came down during a workday. I went to work in the morning and took the N/R to 23rd street to get home in the afternoon. Had to walk single file down the middle of 21st street to get 3rd Avenue. All traffic came to a stop. The city was beautiful. I don’t recall having that experience in the city since.
I had my first real job in the city working for a magazine, and this was a miraculous snow day off from work. My sister and I trudged through the snow to Central Park and watched as happy men and boys threw snowballs at the Daniel Webster statue.
The blizzards I remember were one in the late ’70s. I was working for the Village Voice and our pasteup place was in Mt. Kisco. I was sent up in the early evening by train and told to take a taxi to the motel for the night (so I’d be there for work on Tuesday morning), but when I arrived, there were no taxis. I had to ride in a police car to my motel.
Then there was a blizzard in early April of I think 1985, and the first day of baseball season was canceled because of snow.
We were living on Roosevelt Island. In the Blizzard of (I think it was) 1976 and in 1983, the snow prevented many nurses and attendants employed at Bird S. Coler Hospital on the north end of the Island from getting to work. The hospital served a mostly economically deprived population of patients. Many of the Island’s residents stepped up to the plate, ably forged their way through the snow to the hospital and transported food and other necessities to the patients all day long. It was an effort of abiding love, and a deep humanitarian caring. It’s just one of those moments you never forget.
It was February 11th, and there was 18 1/2 inches of snow in Central Park. I remember a city bus trying to turn onto West End Avenue and getting stuck in the snow. It took quite a while to get it freed.