A soft, shimmering Times Square after the post-Christmas blizzard of 1947

The snow began falling during the early morning darkness the day after Christmas. It continued through the afternoon and evening, catching New Yorkers by surprise—the forecast only warned of flurries.

By the time the Great Blizzard of 1947 was over, 26 inches of snow buried the city—killing an estimated 77 people, snarling mass transit, and putting a spotlight on Gotham’s lack of snowplows, according to data from Baruch College.

In a softly glowing Times Square, weary New Yorkers found something to cheer.

“Long after nightfall the illuminated news sign of the New York Times flashed the announcement to little groups of people huddled in Times Square that the snowfall, which totaled an amazing 25.8 inches in less than 24 hours, had beaten the record of the city’s historic Blizzard of 1888,” wrote Life magazine on January 5, 1948.

“A faint, muffled shout of triumph went up from the victims.”

[Al Fenn/The Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock]