It was the newscast we'd all wait for. The night after a big snow, schoolchildren across the nation would race downstairs and park themselves in front of the TV, waiting and waiting and waiting for the newscaster to deliver the good word that school was shuttered for inclement weather. But as most '70s kids can attest, that's just where the fun began.
From sledding to shoveling, here are 21 photos of what it looked like to have a snow day off from school in the 1970s.
1
Snow Burrow
“Me in a snow tunnel during the great blizzard of 1978 (Ohio).”
2
Sweet Sledding
“My mom and grandpa playing in the snow in 1970.”
3
Shoveling Snow
“Blizzard of 1978 Massachusetts, USA Me (left) and my best friend in our glory with about 33" of snow on the ground. Roads were closed for about a week. My parents were driven to work at the hospital by the National Guard 6-wheeled trucks.”
4
Snowmobile
“Snow day back in the 70s.”
5
Snowball Fight
“Dad throwing a snowball in a rare snow day in Houston, TX. 1973.”
6
Snow Wall
“The Blizzard of '78.”
7
Beachy Blizzard
“Early 1970s, Rare Snow Day in South Carolina, USA.”
8
Fort Construction
“46 Years ago: My brother and sister build snow "fort" after the blizzard of '78 in Kentucky.”
9
Bundled Up
“Wonder bread bags in our boots? Winter 1970.”
10
Snow Day
“Two boys playing in the snow after the aftermath of a blizzard in Boston, Massachusetts (1978).”
11
’35” Snow’
“My dad, uncle and their neighbor during the blizzard of ‘78.”
12
Mom and Dad
“My parents during the Blizzard of 1978, Dayton, Ohio. My mom was 19 and my dad was almost 22.”
13
Gas Station Detour
“Blizzard of 1979 - Piled up snow at the intersection of Surf and Broadway. Newtown. Chicago, IL. Winter of 1979. This [is] the corner with the gas station on it. Note the price of the gas.”
14
Snowy Roads
“My grandfather, early 1970s.”
15
Chilly Campfire
“My dad and uncle enjoying a camp fire during the blizzard of '78. they're sitting in the snow house they made for us kids.”
16
Hitting the Slopes
“My mom was a cross-country-skiing snow bunny in the ‘70s.”
17
Scaling the Snowbank
“Me and My Brothers and The Blizzard of 1978.”
18
Walking on Water
“My Dad walking on the Ohio River when it froze 40 years ago today, 1977.”
19
Super Sledder
“‘I was afraid that my roof would collapse in the blizzard of 1979, so I shoveled the garage roof snow to the ground. The snow pile was as high as the gutter, so made a slide that took the kids down and all the way to the back of the lot,’ says Greg Lopatka of Downers Grove, Illinois.’”
20
Spring Snow
“Shoveling snow on Easter Morning (March 29th, 1970 - Pittsburgh, PA).”
21
Serious Air
“This is my Uncle launching off a snow ramp. He freakin’ sent it bud. (1970s).”
