The 981 Project Podcast

I’m officially an old timer, since I can give you a first-hand account of the 1977 & ‘78 blizzards. Technically, the ‘78 blizzard was more intense because of the record-breaking snowfall and extreme winds. I grew up in Central Ohio, about 30 miles east of Columbus. After a good week or so at home, we ventured out to the grocery store and were shocked that the snow reached power/phone lines.

The weather forecast called for frigid conditions and heavy snowfall, but I tell you, when I saw LIGHTNING and heard THUNDER in the middle of that storm, I thought doomsday had arrived.

Before you dismiss my observation as fanciful, this phenomenon is known as thundersnow. Watch Jim Cantore do the thundersnow dance here!

Okay, if you want to call it a “winter thunderstorm,” that’s an acceptable answer for TV Jeopardy contestants, but you’re gonna hafta accept being called a spoil sport or a kill joy by the rest of us. Your choice.

Another thing I recall is that Mom’s tropical fish aquarium froze. No, not like a block of ice, more like a slurry of the consistency we got from the old Icee Drink machines at Sears stores. I was pretty sad about the little angelfish and tetras suspended there as if Samantha on Bewitched had put a spell on them, but here’s the real miracle: those fish survived! No kidding. I think we were out of power for a good week, but once we got it back, the slurry melted and the fish swam around like nothing had happened.

With that, it’s time for January Trivia, focused on the history, pop culture, and earth science behind winter weather in the region. This should be fun!

Note to my fantastic new subscribers:

Monthly trivia is for sport. It’s not a test of intelligence or character. I couldn’t answer these questions without a significant amount of research, either! Do your best and enjoy learning something new. Oh, and would you share it with someone else?

QUESTIONS

I’m going for quality over quantity this month using these nine questions. Answers in the footnotes.

* What conditions produce thundersnow? Choose one.

* Exactly the same conditions that produce thunderstorms. Duh! That’s to say, when there is moisture, static electricity/instability, and a lifting mechanism in the atmosphere (known as convection).

* Basically the same conditions that produce thunderstorms, with the addition of snowflakes and sleet pellets that collide in the clouds, creating static charges. The static builds up until it's discharged as lightning. The lightning generates intense heat, which causes the air to rapidly expand and produce thunder.

* Where is thundersnow most common in the United States? More than one may apply.

* The Great Lakes region

* Around the Great Salt Lake

* The Northeast during nor'easters

* The entire length of the Ohio River froze during the winter of 1917-1918. What happened as a result? More than one may apply.

* As temperatures dropped, ice flows formed and sharp ice pierced ship hulls or piled on decks, weighing down and sinking 36 boats.

* The Great Ice Gorge of the Ohio River formed and finally broke on February 12, after holding firm for 58 days.

* More than 100 coal barges were lost and coal yards along the river were flooded. The shortage of coal almost shut down the power plant that supplied heat and light to Cincinnati.

* The harbor and the canal at Louisville were kept open by breaking the ice with dynamite because the ice boats weren’t up to the task.

* Now it’s time to talk about the blizzard of 1977, which was caused by a strong blocking high over the Arctic Ocean that brought Arctic air into the central and eastern United States. The cold air combined with a build-up of precipitation and wind to create a severe blizzard. Which of the following is true? More than one applies.

* January 18, 1977 the temperature in the Cincinnati area was -25°F, the coldest day in that city’s history since the National Weather Service began keeping official records in the nineteenth century.

* Louisville saw significant snowfall, compounded by high winds that created drifts several feet deep. Some rural areas nearby were completely cut off. The city opened emergency shelters in schools and other public buildings.

* Indiana farmers lost livestock due to the extreme cold and inability to transport feed.

* Huntington, West Virginia, experienced issues with frozen water mains, leading to water shortages.

* True or false: The Ohio River became a “frozen highway” in 1977 from Huntington, West Virginia, to Evansville, Indiana, because the ice could support the weight of a person and in limited areas, even motor vehicles.

* Let’s compare the ‘77 and ‘78 storms. The Blizzard of 1977 was caused by a combination of extreme cold (from Arctic air) and high winds, with snow already on the ground due to prolonged cold weather prior to the storm. The Great Blizzard of 1978 was different in which key ways? More than one is correct.

* The storm was caused by an explosive low-pressure system comparable to a Category 3 hurricane.

* Wind gusts reached up to 70 mph, causing severe drifting and whiteouts.

* Wind chills of -40°F (compared to -60°F in 1977).

* Which of the following were “breakthroughs” after these two storms? Choose as many as apply.

* The National Weather Service (NWS) recognized the need for more accurate weather prediction models, including increased reliance on satellite imagery.

* Automobile manufacturers began incorporating features such as heated seats and rear defrosters.

* Cities developed and implemented snow emergency routes and plans to ensure more efficient snow removal and emergency response in future storms.

* The North Face, Columbia Sportswear, and Patagonia intensified their focus on developing high-performance outerwear, incorporating advanced insulation materials to provide better protection against extreme cold.

* Okay, sports fans. Did either blizzard affect the Cincinnati Bengals football schedules?

* In the 1970s, the freezing of the Ohio River was a rare event, but it was not uncommon in the mid-19th century. There are several accounts of enslaved people crossing “ice bridges” over the river from Kentucky in search of freedom. Their stories, reported in newspapers and fictionalized, made up an important component of the public discourse in advance of the US Civil War. Which of the stories below is based in fact?

* Uncle Tom’s Cabin tells the story of Eliza Harris, who crossed the partially frozen Ohio River with her child to reach freedom in Ohio.

* Beloved embellishes the story of Margaret Garner, who crossed the icy river with her family into Cincinnati, where she killed her daughter, claiming it was better for her go home to God than back to slavery.

* The Price of Freedom tells the story of the Oberlin-Wellington Rescue and centers the people of Oberlin, Ohio, who sheltered Kentuckians John and Frank after they rode stolen horses across the frozen river. Found guilty of violating the Fugitive Slave Act, 37 townsmen were sentenced to three months in prison.

ANSWERS