It’s hard to believe it’s been 34 years since Massachusetts was hit with the Blizzard of '78.

On Feb. 6, 1978, the area was blanketed with a record 27 inches of snow, with the added bonus of hurricane-force winds. The storm began the morning of Feb. 6 and lasted through the following evening. It was a storm that was never really predicted to be this large, and yet from it one good thing came—we learned about emergency preparedness.

The snow came down so quickly (at a rate of an inch an hour) thousands of motorists were stranded in snowdrifts as they drove down Route 128. Roads throughout the state were impassible and cars were abandoned at every turn.

For those of us who were old enough to remember, the memories differ. The motorist stuck in his car for hours on the highway, the family wondering where that person was, to a community paralyzed by Mother Nature in a storm no one ever expected. 

As a young girl I remember climbing 7-foot-high snow piles with my sister and father. My mother was at New England Baptist Hospital, having just had surgery. For me, it was magical, because I didn't understand the danger. Our parents shielded us from the chaos and we didn't know people lost their lives in that storm. Looking back as an adult, it's terrifying how unprepared we were for this event. 

Thirty-four years ago we had 27 inches of snow. Today, the forecast is saying temps will be in the 50s. I’ll take the 50-degree temps over what happened here a little more than three decades ago.

We would love to hear your stories from the Blizzard of '78 and see your photos. You can upload your photos directly to our image gallery and tell us your stories. Tell us in the comments.