Plow truck, March of 2014. (Photo by Deb Patterson)

The Northern Indiana Blizzard of 1978 is the worst on record in Hoosier history. It proved to be the first winter storm where a blizzard storm warning was issued for the entire state at 3:45 p.m. Jan. 25, 1978. Over the several day span of the storm, temperatures dipped to 4 degrees while winds created wind-chill temperatures near minus 60 degrees.

According to Sam Lashley of the National Weather Service, the worst three winters in recent history are 1977-78, 1981-82 and 2013-14. All place in the top three of recorded snowfall all-time, and are near the top of the list of coldest average temperature for a winter period.

The top overall snowfall for a winter was in the 1981-82 winter, with 81.2 inches. Second was last year with 75 inches, and third was 1977-78 with 60.6 inches. Lashley stated that nearly a third of the 1977-78 snowfall came during the infamous blizzard.

The coldest average temperature for a single winter was in 1977-78 at 25.3 degrees. The winter of 2013-14 was close behind with an average temperature of 26.2 degrees. Though the winter of 1981-82 tops the snowfall list, it was only the sixth coldest winter with a temperature average of 27.9 degrees.

According to Lashley, there is no indication yet as to how the winter of 2014-15 will stack up with the giant that was the 1977-78 winter.

Ink Free News would like to invite anyone with stories or pictures from historically bad winters of the past to share them with us to be posted in a follow-up piece.

Last year’s winter saw the second most snow ever for the area. (Photo by Deb Patterson)