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Remembering the Blizzard of February 1983

February 19, 2022 | 2:49 PM
in NEWS
27
In the lower part of the photo someone wrote Blizzard 83 in the snow.

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.

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Leon
Leon
3 years ago

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.

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Mark Moore
Mark Moore
3 years ago

I remember February 2003. That was a big one.

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Jay
Jay
3 years ago

Back when you were allowed to walk/skate/ski on the frozen ice of the lake in CP.

No more, since Bloomberg.

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EdNY
EdNY
3 years ago
Reply to  Jay

Nah, it must have been de Blasio.

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Big Earl
Big Earl
3 years ago
Reply to  Jay

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.

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Weird That Way
Weird That Way
3 years ago
Reply to  Jay

“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.

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Gretchen
Gretchen
3 years ago

Vaguely remember, as we used to have a lot of blizzards back then. I was probably having drinks at Teacher’s Too.

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Julia
Julia
3 years ago

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.

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Wijmlet
Wijmlet
3 years ago
Reply to  Julia

I was a “Peanut” in the Peanut Gallery of that show in the 40s.

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SJR
SJR
3 years ago
Reply to  Wijmlet

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.

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LL
LL
3 years ago
Reply to  Julia

My dad remembers that blizzard. The snow went up to their third floor apartment

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Brandon
Brandon
3 years ago
Reply to  LL

So it snowed 30ish feet? That seems unlikely…

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Sb
Sb
3 years ago

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!

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UWSJ
UWSJ
3 years ago

My parents’ wedding was canceled because of the blizzard! Luckily, the catering hall was available the following week!

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georaven2000
georaven2000
3 years ago

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.

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Randy Turner
Randy Turner
3 years ago

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.

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johnny
johnny
3 years ago

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.

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Don
Don
3 years ago

Snow bound MTA buses were abandoned in the middle of avenues!

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GraceNY
GraceNY
3 years ago

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.

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ACL
ACL
3 years ago

My husband was stuck in an elevator over the weekend and then I went into labor. We had to walk to the hospital!

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Susan J
Susan J
3 years ago

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!

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Eva
Eva
3 years ago

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.”

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LD
LD
3 years ago

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.

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Barbara
Barbara
3 years ago

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.

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SJR
SJR
3 years ago

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.

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J.F. Segall
J.F. Segall
3 years ago

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.

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Ray Bergen
Ray Bergen
3 years ago

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.

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