The Blizzard of '77: When 75 mph winds buried Buffalo
The Weather ChannelUpdated
Thu, January 29, 2026 at 9:34 PM UTC
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On Jan. 30, 1977, Buffalo was in the grip of one of the worst blizzards in its history. Wind gusts up to 75 mph turned 30 inches of existing snow into 18-foot drifts that buried vehicles to their roofs and trapped people for days. Twenty-nine people died, many frozen in their cars. President Jimmy Carter declared the first-ever federal disaster for a winter storm in U.S. history. The Blizzard of '77 didn't bury Buffalo with fresh snow – the wind did.