If you grew up around here, you don’t have to say much more than “the Blizzard of ’78” and people immediately get that look.
It’s not just that it snowed.
It’s that the world stopped — and for a lot of folks, it stopped in a way they’d never seen before and haven’t seen since.
Today — January 25, 2026 — marks 48 years since the moment the Blizzard of ’78 began locking in its place in Midwest lore. And what’s wild is… Mother Nature is giving Southeastern Indiana a little reminder this weekend, too. Not the same storm. Not the same scale. But enough of the same ingredients — snow, wind, road trouble, and scary cold — to make you think about how quickly winter can go from “pretty” to “serious.”
What made ’78 different
Here’s the part a lot of people forget: the blizzard didn’t just arrive with a dramatic flourish on January 26. The alarm bells were ringing the afternoon of January 25, 1978 — when the National Weather Service issued the first Blizzard Warning ever for the entire state of Indiana.
By that night, the storm was ramping up fast. Winds were expected to push toward 50 mph and keep roaring through the 27th, while temperatures fell toward zero with wind chills approaching minus 50.
And then came the stuff that turns a snowstorm into a legend:
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Snow that didn’t just fall… it stayed in motion because of the wind.
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Drifts that weren’t “a couple feet.” In places they were described as 20 to 25 feet high — the kind of snow you don’t shovel, you tunnel.
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Visibility that sat at or below a quarter-mile for 25 hours.
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Roads clogged with stranded motorists, emergency crews having to reach people by snowmobile and skis, and even the National Guard using tanks to help clear semis off the interstate.
At the height of it, the state essentially said, “Enough.” Indiana officials treated it like all roads were closed, and the storm’s death toll in Indiana and across the region was heartbreaking — more than 70 people died.
That’s why it still gets talked about like it happened yesterday. It wasn’t just weather — it was disruption, danger, isolation, and community all at once.
Why this weekend feels like a “mini flashback”
Fast-forward to right now.
We’re in a stretch where winter is again reminding us who’s in charge.
And for our area, it’s two things that matter a lot:
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Snow and slick travel
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The kind of cold that turns a small problem into a big one
Even if we don’t see anything close to the Blizzard of ’78 numbers, the combination of snow, wind, and biting cold can still create the same kind of problems: stranded cars, blocked roads, emergency calls, and a lot of people saying, “I didn’t think it would be this bad.”
And this weekend, the cold is doing what extreme cold always does — it raises the stakes fast.
It’s one thing to slide into a ditch when it’s 30 degrees. It’s another thing entirely when wind chills are down in the dangerously cold range, because suddenly you’re not just waiting for a tow truck… you’re fighting the clock.
The biggest difference: scale
The Blizzard of ’78 was a once-in-a-lifetime monster — the kind of storm people compare everything else to.
This weekend is not that.
But it’s close enough to jog the memory, and close enough to deserve respect.
Because even a “smaller” winter storm can become a major event if enough things go wrong at the same time.
A small ask
If you’re reading this in Southeastern Indiana, here’s the best way to honor the memory of ’78 without living it:
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If you don’t absolutely have to be on the roads, don’t be.
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If you do have to go out, toss a blanket and a charger in the car. A little planning is a lot cheaper than a tow truck.
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Check on somebody. Especially older neighbors, folks who live alone, or anyone who might be dealing with a sketchy furnace or a space-heater situation.
Because that’s the part people also remember from ’78: yes, it was frightening and miserable — but it also brought out the best kind of neighbor-helping-neighbor energy.
And finally… perspective
Forty-eight years later, the Blizzard of ’78 still sits at the top of the winter list — the benchmark storm.
This weekend isn’t that.
But if you’re watching the snow blow sideways outside your window today, and you’re feeling that old familiar winter hush…
You’re not imagining it.
It’s January in Southeastern Indiana. And winter still knows how to make a point.