4– 12

lornajarrettblanchard November 28, 1955

–12 Blanchard tally based on State breakouts below

Illinois (2)
–2 Chicago, Nov 28 or 29. “…heart attacks because of the weather.”

New York (6)
–5 Buffalo. AP. “Buffalo Work Crews Struggle To Free Snow-Clogged Areas.” 11-30-1955, p.1.
–1 Buffalo, Nov 28. Heart attack while shoveling snow at home; Edward Fursbach, 62.
–1 Buffalo, Nov 28. Heart attack in car trapped in snow-induced traffic jam; William A. Miller, 57.
–1 Buffalo, Nov 28. Heart attack while shoveling snow; Elmer Roth, 58.
–1 Derby. Asphyxiation; heater fumes; heater exhaust sealed by drifting snow; Fred Tweed.

Pennsylvania (4)
–1 Jefferson, Greene County; Car skidded on icy Route 188; overturns; unnamed man.
–3 Pittsburgh area, Nov 28. “…icy weather was blamed for three fatal heart attacks.”

Narrative Information

Nov 29, AP: “Buffalo, AP – This sprawling industrial city lay helpless under the lash of a blizzard today, spawned over the Great Lakes. Thousands bound for work were stranded on windswept street corners and in stalled cars. Roads leading to the city were blocked by stalled passenger cars. A Buffalo Transit Company bus bound for Hamburg was unreported all night but company officials said it reached a haven at the Bethlehem Steel plant in Lackawanna this morning where the passengers were given shelter and hot coffee. On the Lake Shore Road five busses were stalled and passengers huddled in hot dog stands. Food was running low.

“The heavy storm effects were confined almost entirely to Erie County and petered out to the east within a 40-50 mile circle. Depths of four feet were measured south of the city.

“Norther and central New York were hit yesterday by a storm which moved in from Lake Ontario, a part of the same air mass. The Lake Erie storm moved inland around Dunkirk, feinted to the east and then plunged north into Buffalo dumping about two feet of snow along the way. Buffalo had 10 inches by early morning.

“The Weather Bureau said the storm would probably hover in the Buffalo area all today and then head back south, following a low pressure trough.

“With the storm came near-zero temperatures and knife-edge winds approaching the 35 mile-an-hour mark. Roads became impassable due to ice and drifting snow. Crews worked all night to clear Routs 20 and 5 south of Buffalo along the lake shore….

“At least one death was directly attributed to the storm as 62-year-old Edward Fursbach died of a heart attack while shoveling snow in the rear of his home here last night. His wife found him lying in the snow, the shovel still clutched in his hand.

“Many schools did not open today. Lancaster, Lackawanna and other communities south of the city, said schools would remain closed until conditions improved.

“In northern and central New York, squalls and flurries were expected to continue through Wednesday….” (Associated Press. “Buffalo Is Helpless Under Lash of Blizzard Spawned on Great Lakes.” Canandaigua Daily Messenger, NY. 11-29-1955, p. 1.)

Nov 29: “The biggest cold wave of the season sprawled across three quarters of the nation today and shoved ice-box weather deep into the Southland. There was no stopping the Arctic front as it moved into the Gulf and Atlantic states. Temperatures were below 20 degrees along the Middle Atlantic coast and were in the frigid 20’s in some Gulf States. It was much colder in the Midlands and West. Temperatures were expected to hit zero in northern Michigan today and were under the 10-degree mark in much of Ohio. At Glasgow, Mont., it was 25 below aero early today and the mercury didn’t get above eight below at Minot, N.D. Monday [28th].

“Northern Michigan’s Copper County measured nine inches of snow since Sunday. Every available piece of snow plow equipment was called out and hundreds of cars were stalled and temporarily abandoned….

“In the Pittsburgh, Pa., area, meanwhile, the icy weather was blamed for three fatal heart attacks. Chicago authorities reported that two more persons had died of heart attacks because of the weather.” (Daily Courier, Connellsville, PA. “Season’s Biggest Cold Wave Sprawls Over U.S.” 11-29-1955, p. 1.)
Sources

Associated Press. “Buffalo Crippled by 16-Inch Snowfall; Four Are Dead; Schools, Plants Closed.” Kingston Daily Freeman, NY. 11-29-1955, p. 1. Accessed 4-10-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/kingston-daily-freeman-nov-29-1955-p-1/

Associated Press. “Buffalo Is Helpless Under Lash of Blizzard Spawned on Great Lakes.” Canandaigua Daily Messenger, NY. 11-29-1955, p. 1. Accessed 4-9-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/canandaigua-daily-messenger-nov-29-1955-p-1/

Associated Press. “Buffalo Work Crews Struggle To Free Snow-Clogged Areas.” Wellsville Daily Reporter, 11-30-1955, p. 1. Accessed 4-9-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/wellsville-daily-reporter-nov-30-1955-p-1/

Daily Courier, Connellsville, PA. “Season’s Biggest Cold Wave Sprawls Over U.S.” 11-29-1955, p. 1. Accessed 4-10-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/connellsville-daily-courier-nov-29-1955-p-1/

Daily News, Huntingdon, PA. “Late News.” 12-29-1955, p. 1. Accessed 4-9-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/huntingdon-daily-news-dec-29-1955-p-1/

United Press. “Buffalo Area Schools, Plants Are Closed As Result of Big Snowfall.” Dunkirk Evening Observer, NY. 11-29-1955, p. 1. Accessed 4-9-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/dunkirk-evening-observer-nov-29-1955-p-1/