Here we are in the deep freeze IN THE United States
right now and although Charlotte isn’t getting any snow this year, back in 1960
in March of all months, it snowed—I mean really SNOWED—every Wednesday for
three weeks in a row. Well, I was a kid back then and in the south we don’t go
to school if someone even smells snow. So, the neighborhood kids, my sister,
and I had a pretty dang good holiday that year.
But let’s face it, kids all holed up in the house for
three seeks must be a pain for moms who, by the way in those days were mostly
stay at home moms. We were all HIGHLY encouraged to go outside and play.
Luckily, my Yankee parents had some delightful sleds
that suddenly became the center of the neighborhood kids’ attention. We had a
huge hill and two sleds so, hello fun times. The really great thing about the
snow that year was that it was also extremely cold. So all day the snow only
melted enough so that overnight it froze into an ice sheet over the top of the
snow making a nice slick, sled riding highway. Good thing, too, because we had
already built all those snowmen and tried to kill each other with snowballs the
first day. The snow was hard on top after that with the icy layer so we
couldn’t build any more snow people or throw snowballs anymore.
I’m certain our parents were happy since all of us kids
were occupied with sledding all day, we only came in for lunch or to warm our
hands and back outside we went. I actually got a snow tan. Pop came out with me
once and we rode down the hill together. His skills at sledding had faded so we
crashed and burned spilling both of us off the sled. But that just added to the
special memories for me.
I don’t recall ever having that kind of snow here
again, but I remember that time with great joy.
The official climate report:
March
1960 remains the snowiest month on record in Charlotte.
How crazy was that March?
It was and still is the snowiest month on record in Charlotte with 19.5” of
snow for the entire month. That’s snowier than any other month including
December, January and February. Even more, 1960 is the snowiest year on record
in Charlotte as well. With 22.9” of snowfall and 19.3” of that falling in
March alone.
It
was very cold as well!
It’s amazing to think that
one month outside of Winter in one year can still be the record holder for
snowfall in Charlotte. Not only was it snowy it was frigid. The March of
1960 was the coldest March on record by 3.4°, and it was an astounding 11.5°
below average.
There is
good reason that so many people who were here remember the March of 1960.
It will remain one the coldest and snowiest periods in the history of the area.
For more information on that crazy March here is a great write-up that the
National Weather Service Office in Greer, SC did in 2010. That was the 50 year
anniversary of the memorable March.
For those of who were raised here during that time, do
you remember that weird March in Charlotte? What did y’all do for fun? Now I
know some of you experience this kind of winter weather every year where you
live. Do you like that kind of snow that gets so hard on top you can walk on
it? How did you spend your time as kids in winter? What about right now—are any
of you living where this weather has gotten into the sub-zero category? Have
you lost power? By the way, do you have a backup plan for power outages? What
are you doing to amuse yourselves during this weather? What is the most
memorable time from your childhood about winter weather?
Charlotte Past
And Present Face Book Page is a great place to check out pictures and stories
of historical events here in Charlotte, NC just in case you might be
interested.
3 Wednesdays graph in Charotte, NC 1960
Diverse
stories filled with heart
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