53rd Anniversary Of The Blizzard Of 1966 This Week

53 years ago this week, over 50 inches of snow fell in the city of Rome. It's the 53rd anniversary of the North American Blizzard of 1966.

The Rome Sentinel posted this flashback on Facebook:

As the photo notes, this storm closed Rome schools for a week. Along with the snow, thousands were stranded along the NYS Thruway.

Nationwide, at least 142 people had been killed:

31 had frozen to death, 46 died in fires that started while people were trying to heat their home. Others died from heart attacks while shoveling snow or pushing cars, or traffic accidents caused by slick roads. The death toll reached 201 by Wednesday, February 2, as the storm eased."

The storm began as a nor'easter, and was followed by heavy lake effect snow. The drifts were so bad they covered entire 2 story houses.