The Great Appalachian Storm of 1950
Around here it was called “The Big One,” and the front page of the Evening-Standard described the quiet as local movie houses along with bars and restaurants were closing as our area was in the midst of a powerful storm that to this day remains the stuff of legend.
The paper reported that it was the most fearsome snow storm since 1799. Washington County reported 46 inches and 62 inches fell in northern West Virginia.
The Uniontown and Pittsburgh regions reported between 25 and 30 inches of the white stuff. The storm covered almost half of the country and the paper reported over 400 deaths. Winds in New England reached 110 miles per hour and record cold descended on the Carolinas.
Pittsburgh had to call out the National Guard and I remember trying to walk to the store with my mom to get bread and milk the Monday after the storm. Since I was only 8 years old the snow was unlike anything I can remember. We did find a store open and I was treated to a grilled cheese sandwich and fries along with a Coke, all for 45 cents.
Some of the coal mines had to close as workers could not get to work and the paper the next day headlined the storm and the fact that travel was paralyzed. It took a good week to get southwestern Pennsylvania back to normal and the interesting thing about the storm was that Buffalo to our north did not get a flake of snow and had temperatures in the 40s.
Shops and schools were closed for a week after the storm. The paper also reported the many acts of kindness helped people get and share food and in Claysville a doctor opened his home to expectant mothers. One mother journeyed more than eight hours to make a 15-mile trip. Many people opened their homes to travelers.
There have been a number of big snows since 1950, including the Blizzard of 1993 and the Mountain Storm of 1974 and we can’t forget the Snowmageddon of 2010 or the winters of ’76 and ’77, however the 1950 storm will always be in the record books for its sheer destructive force and paralyzing effect on daily life.
Today we also have much better weather forecasting and better equipment to deal with any storms that want to visit and make memories.
After a chilly weekend this coming week looks to be on the mild side with temperatures above normal and rainfall about normal.