Posted in Pittsburgh February 12, 2019 by

69 Years Ago, Pittsburgh Was Hit With The Worst Blizzard In History

We, Pittsburghers, know a thing or two about blizzards. In fact, snow – no matter how deep – doesn’t scare us. Nor does the cold and the ice. Need proof? Unless the roads close due to bad weather, Pittsburghers will venture out, going about our normal routines. And, we’ve all seen (or maybe we are) Pittsburghers wearing shorts when the snow is waist-deep. Today, let’s journey back to 1950 when Pittsburgh experienced its worst blizzard in history, at least to date.

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The Great Appalachian Storm of 1950 dumped massive amounts of snow along the East Coast, including Pittsburgh, where Pittsburghers still refer to it as "The Big Snow" and "The Storm of the (20th) Century."
Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain
But, before the Big Snow, Pittsburghers enjoyed their Thanksgiving dinners on November 23, 1950, perhaps blissfully unaware of the severity of the snowstorm heading their way.
Flickr/Mark Byzewski
Snow began falling the day after Thanksgiving - November 24, 1950 - and steadily fell for the next three days.
Flickr/Greg Simenoff
The snow halted travel throughout the region. And, when the snow finally stopped, Pittsburghers had 27 inches of the fluffy white stuff with which to contend.
Flickr/David Wilson
That epic snowfall in 1950 remains the worst blizzard in Pittsburgh's history, surpassing the city's two most recent blizzards...
Flickr/jimbedred
Snowmageddon in February 2010 gave us 21.1 inches of snow while the Blizzard of '93 dumped 25.3 inches of snow on the region.
Flickr/Mavi Kemani
When the city finally dug out, on the Monday after Thanksgiving by some accounts, the city had sustained more than one million dollars in damages. More than 50 Western Pennsylvanians died as a result of the blizzard.
Flickr/sk

Do you agree that the Appalachian Storm of 1950 was Pittsburgh’s worst blizzard in history? Or, do you think another warrants that title? Let us know in the comments! Then, click here to read about the Blizzard of ’93.