Glen McGlothlin sent this photo of his mother, Louella Shultz (1916-2005), shoveling snow near Stone Lake Drive, LaPorte, after the 1978 blizzard.
We should consider ourselves lucky.
While it’s brisk with snow showers today, hardly a pleasant environment, we’ve dodged a notorious bullet. Jan. 26 is LaPorte County’s historic snowstorm day.
Forty-three years ago, on Jan. 26, 1967, 22.5 inches of snow fell relentlessly. By the time the snow ended on Jan. 28, we were buried under 29 inches of the stuff.
LaPorte County’s other major snowstorm in modern history started — surprise! — on Jan. 26, 1978. On that day 32 years ago, 20 inches of snow fell, adding to the 6.5 inches that had fallen the day before. Making the experience all the more fun were 30- to 50-mph winds.
WNLP asked folks who could locate them to send us photos from either storm. Enjoy a warm beverage as you peer out at today’s paltry dusting and view the following (click on any photo to enlarge):
Heinz Gutmann of LaPorte took this photo of his wife, Hertha, trying to make her way through the snow in their neighborhood. He wasn't sure whether this was 1967 or 1978.
Heinz Gutmann also sent us this shot of a tunneled sidewalk during one of the snowstorms.
Here are Paul Morrical (with shovel), Patsy Gutmann and Patty Klinefelter, presumably after the 1967 snowstorm.
The mound toward the left is a full-sized van; the mound toward the right is a Mercury Marquis. They were buried in the 1978 snowstorm in the driveway of Jean and Bill Boardman in LaPorte.
Jean Boardman shovels a path to nowhere as dog Max follows in this photo after the 1978 snowfall. Note the accumulation on the railing at right.
A view from inside the Boardman home shows the drifting snow reaching the top of the second pane of a window (right) during the 1978 storm.
