The Valentines Day Blizzard

HUB History - Our Favorite Stories from Boston History

During a legendary New England blizzard, trains and trolleys ground to a halt in Boston, stranding commuters at South and North Station. Thousands of drivers were forced to abandon their cars in the middle of traffic and just walk away in search of shelter. Dozens of people were killed in the storm. Much as it may sound like the great blizzard of 1978, or even a typical Monday in February 2015, this week’s show is actually about the Valentine’s Day blizzard of 1940 that hit Boston without warning and left chaos in its wake.

Full show notes: http://HUBhistory.com/242/

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The Valentines Day Blizzard

Traffic Snarls in Adams Square (Globe)

Women not dressed for the storm (Globe)

Passengers in evening wear at North Station (Globe)

Women struggle against the wind (Leslie Jones/Herald-Traveler)

Women with the wrong shoes (Leslie Jones/Herald-Traveler)

An abandoned car buried by the storm (Leslie Jones/Herald-Traveler)

Stranded at the Copley Plaza (Globe)

A fire sleigh (Globe)

Cars abandoned in Adams Square (Globe)

Skiing on Park Street (Globe)

Stranded at North Station (Globe)

Cars abandoned on the Fellsway (Globe)

• Globe Coverage (paywall)
  • Feb 13: Forecast calls for mostly rain
  • Feb 14 (evening): Forecast still isn’t too bad
  • Feb 15: Boston paralyzed, Henie fans stranded
  • Feb 15 (evening): 14 inches, 14 dead, rail and trolley service slowly resuming
  • Feb 16: Roads reopening, 27 dead, cars banned from downtown Boston
  • Feb 16 (evening): Abandoned cars to be towed
  • Feb 19: Roads open, thousands enjoy winter sports
  • Feb 20: The next snowstorm arrives in Boston
• Leslie Jones photos
• Globe Photos
• Tom & Ray explain why they always exclaim “Sonja Henie’s Tutu!” on Car Talk
• The Channel 5 forecast for our January 2022 blizzard