50 years since the “storm of the century”
Fifty years ago, March 4, 1971, Montreal experienced what’s since been called the storm of the century.
We’ve had a few snowfalls since the millennium that equalled or beat the storm’s ~43 cm (figures vary) but that winter had already accumulated nearly 4 meters of snow. There were also 110 km/h winds, and the storm was followed by another snowfall on March 7. The city shut down for a week and the metro ran all night for the first time.
That city archive feature, first posted in 2015, has a video accompanied by a text and photos. Wikipedia has some comparative statistics. Metro talks to a climatologist who says it will happen again and not just because of climate change: the dice will roll that way again some year.
Added later: Radio-Canada, TVA, CTV and the Gazette all compiled some memories of the storm.
Danny 10:52 on 2021-03-04 Permalink
I was a month shy of turning 11 and remember that storm well. The first floor of our house was about 15 feet above ground level, and there was a little balcony overlooking the small side yard. My 7 year-old brother and I kept ascending the balcony steps, climbing over the railing, and then jumping into the snow piled below. Then my mother realized we had no milk in he house and sent me to the store two blocks away on my cross-country skis. Great memories!
Kate 17:58 on 2021-03-04 Permalink
Three most memorable weather events here: this 1971 snowstorm, the massive rain of 1987, and the ice storm of 1998. Has this century produced anything to compare?
CE 18:41 on 2021-03-04 Permalink
I remember a pretty big storm about 10 years ago that was close to surpassing the 1971 record, although it was in December and wasn’t much snow on the ground. It was the most snow I had ever seen from a single storm. I remember it taking over a week before the first pass by a sidewalk plow in front of my house.
Kate 19:08 on 2021-03-04 Permalink
I remember that too, CE. I think it was toward the end of 2015. The storm intersected with the holidays, and it took ages for my sidewalk to be cleared – it was a goat path for more than a week.
dhomas 14:06 on 2021-03-05 Permalink
The March 15th, 2017, storm that saw drivers stuck on Highway 13, maybe?
https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/pq-calls-for-independent-inquiry-into-highway-13-fiasco-after-montreal-storm
Kate 15:45 on 2021-03-05 Permalink
dhomas, that was a memorable one too. But I’d forgotten it was so late in the season.