It’s the kind of snowstorm of which legends are made. A post-Thanksgiving storm, still the single largest snowfall ever in Pittsburgh, crippled the usually bustling city. And, if you are among those of us who weren’t here for that memorable snowfall, chances are you’ve heard stories from your parents and grandparents about the three-day period when it seemed like the snow would never stop falling.

Pittsburghers went to sleep Thanksgiving night, perhaps unaware that by the time they woke up on November 24, 1950, a steady snow would be falling and continue falling through November 26.
Flickr/WCN 24/7
By November 26, 27.4 inches of snow would cover the grounds in Pittsburgh, shutting down businesses and schools.
Flickr/Florian Lungu
But, that didn’t stop Pittsburghers, who still tell of neighbors working together, shoveling snow to clear the streets.
Flickr/Lena

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The snowstorm of Thanksgiving 1950 ultimately claimed more than 50 lives.
Flickr/Heather Moland
Financially, the storm cost upwards of $1 million, which includes those Pittsburghers who lost pay because they couldn’t get to work.
Flickr/Jack Flannagan
Today, those who lived through that Thanksgiving storm in 1950 often refer to it as "The Big Snow."
Flickr/naunasse
However, The Big Snow didn’t just impact it Pittsburgh. The epic snowstorm also wreaked havoc from Ohio to New Hampshire, and even into Toronto, Canada.
Flickr/Keith

Do you remember the Big Snow of 1950? Or, have your loved ones told you about it? Share your memories in the comments! Then, click here to read about the Blizzard of ’93, another epic storm that shut Pittsburgh down.

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