"The Blizzard of 1947"

As we collectively dig out and prepare for the deep freeze brought on by the bombogenesis,  bomb cyclone or whatever crazy name the Weather Channel comes up with next, it is key we look back at one of the worst winter storms in North Bergen History, the Great Blizzard of 1947. The blizzard dropped record breaking amounts of snow and essential shut down the entire northeastern portion of the United States, North Bergen included. The storm struck without warning and continued for a lingering 48 hours. The storm would be the worst storm to strike North Bergen since the Blizzard of '88...1888 that is!

Courtesy of northjersey.com

The snow began to fall around 3 a.m. on December 26th, 1947. The storm had caught the residents of North Bergen, as well as everyone else in it track, completely off guard. The snow fell at about an inch an hour. Those reporting on the storm claimed it would eventually taper off and leave a blanket of 10 inches of snow. However, due to lack of modern technology to track the story, these reports we prove inaccurate. The blizzard strengthened and at its height snow fell at a rate of 3 inches per hour. Wind gusts were even clocked upwards of 50 mph. When all was over 26 inches of snow carpeted North Bergen.

1108 78th Street

Courtesy of Lenny DiBrango

Reports from the Bergen Record and Jersey Journal detailed the multi-day storm in detail and with eye opening coverage.  The papers both claimed that snow drifts measured between four and six feet. Automobiles and bus were stranded and left on major roadways like Kennedy Boulevard, Tonnelle  and Bergenline Avenue. Those caught out in the store were forced to hunker down where-ever possible, workplaces, bus terminals, anywhere with a roof and four walls would have done, in fact Loew's Theater in Jersey City was a temporary shelter for those stuck in Journal Square. Digging out the car was not even an option. Cars were buried with an average of 20 inches of snow, plowed in on the street side and buried on the sidewalk side by homeowners trying to clear their sidewalks. The snow was packed so high in some parts of town there are claims it was still there until March of 1948, roughly 3 months later. 

1216 23rd Street

Courtesy of Merri Maglione Humel 

In the end several states were affected by the Blizzard of '47. Central Park reported their final snow total at 26.4 inches, North Bergen 25.6, a record that would hold until the Blizzard of 2016 (average total snowfall of 26.9 inches). The town would eventually have to gather snow and dump it into the nearest waterways, the Hudson, Hackensack, the Meadowlands and even a report of it being dumped into Woodcliff Lake. The rail yards running parallel to Tonnelle Avenue laid buried and silent for several days after the storm. Local officials unofficially closed roadways throughout town and  the storm even forced the cancellation of a holiday party at Schuetzen Park. The Journal summed up the storm as a tale for the ages:

Courtesy of the Jersey Journal Archives

As we complain about digging out, the cold, the lack of parking or whatever we hate most about the snow, keep in mind one thing. It could have been worse. Videos like "Don't forget the bread and milk" make fun of the panic the 24 hour news cycle insights in us every winter. However, lets remember something, we live in New Jersey and its the winter...snow happens.