The Great Snow of '73

What if you were to read this headline - "24 inches of snow in 24 hours?" Would you think Erie, PA? Buffalo, NY? Denver, CO?

Actually this was Rimini SC, just north of Lake Marion in the low country between Columbia and Charleston, on February 10, 1973. I know, we couldn't believe it then either.

In Columbia where I lived we just got 17". Slightly different amounts fell in different parts of the city. It was far and away the greatest and most amazing weather event of my life. I can't believe it has been 37 years ago. It seems like yesterday.

Just a little SE of Columbia, in Manning, there was 21". Orangeburg got 21". Greenville - they got 1".

It happened on February 9 and 10, 1973. I was 15 years old, in tenth grade at A. C. Flora High School.

Back then in Columbia we got a pretty decent snowfall about every winter. Three years before, in January of 1970, it snowed so hard and fast that our bus from Crayton Junior High couldn't get us home, and believe it or not the driver let a group of us off in brutally cold windy snowy weather two miles from where we lived. We got lost on the golf course walking home. It was my first whiteout experience - or near whiteout. We weren't dressed for it. It was brutal.

Back to 1973. I believe that we did go to school that February Friday and when it was apparent later what was going to happen we were sent home. I distinctly remember that the the storm had not been forecast. They had called for rain. Even today with advanced tools these events are hard to see more than a few hours out. This was one of those many low pressure systems rising out of the gulf. The incoming cold front which met it was not expected.

The storm came up from the south and west. This was an enormous snow event for southern Alabama and Georgia too. You can get a good overview of the storm here.

The storm hit so fast that thousands of cars were stranded on I-95 and other highways in southern SC. National Guard troops were called out to rescue the people by helicopter. I remember watching the footage on the news at the time. There were multiple fatalities. People froze to death in their cars.

There were reports of drifts 6-8 feet deep, and strong winds. In Columbia where I was there was almost no wind. I remember the night of the 9th watching the snow fall onto our little back porch. We had one of those standard early 60's variety steel railings with a flat inch-wide top. The snow was coming down in enormously huge flakes, falling very very slowly, like little parachutes. The snow was piling straight up on the little rail. I can't remember if our power went out. I would imagine that it did.

So I went to bed that night and it was snowing like crazy. The amazing part is that when I got up the next morning it was STILL snowing like crazy. That had never happened, and has not come close to happening again in Columbia. It snowed 17 inches at my house in 24 hours.

The next morning the snow on those rails was standing up in thin white walls a foot high. I could not believe my eyes looking out side. It was deeply delightful. But even in my joy I couldn't begin to match the sheer gush of happiness that came over my 18 month old Irish Setter Clancey. When we finally went outside together he was running jumping and spinning around with an expression on his face of utter and pure animal happiness. We rolled around and around wrestling, chasing, playing. It was one of the happiest days of my life.

I remember standing straight up and falling backwards - straight back stiff-spined. Plop! The snow would poof out from the impact, and then I would be lying there in a canyon of snow with the snow wall to my right and left quite higher than my head. I did this fall-backwards thing over and over all day.

I tried doing snow angels but my arms and legs were just plowing under the snow!

A cold freeze followed the snow so we were out of school for at least a week. Snow isn't great for the dry cleaning business so my dad wasn't super excited after the first day or so. I remember my grandmother being stranded in her house. Not sure how I got over there but I remember a lot of pine tree limbs down.

Somewhere we have a few little black and white pictures but I can't find them. I do offer for your view amazing footage from that morning Feb 10th 1973 in Sumter SC, 45 minutes east of where I lived. Sumter had the same amount of snow we did. This footage is wonderful.

And the Dumb-Ass of the Year Award Goes to...

Me.

Have you ever done something so stupid that you felt like you had to tell everyone first before they found out otherwise? You know, that way you get to put your own spin on the thing...:-)

So, my daughter Anna, the track whiz, well, she has this little neighborhood lawn mowing business going. She has always been a very hard worker and is very tidy about mowing and weed eating and such. Anyway, she has gone off to college now, but the problem is, the grass around here is still growing. So, how can she keep her customers? I offered to mow this one man's yard for her and send her the money until mowing season stops. Good old dad.

The nice man from down the street dropped by Friday on his way to the beach and gave me the thirty bucks to send to Anna, plus some tomatoes and cucumbers from his garden. He also invited me to help myself to anything that was ripe while I was mowing.

So, Monday morning I took off down the street pushing the mower. Anna always listened to her iPod while mowing which would make it impossible for her to hear us calling, so I thought I would take mine with me. Led Zeppelin IV came to mind as good lawn mowing music, and I had just turned on the iPod as I pushed the mower into the guy's driveway. "Hey hey mama said the way you move..." You get the picture. So I cranked the Honda mower up and started mowing.

The guy had nice grass. Really nice grass. Our mower is stuck on "mulch"mode for some reason and I had to go over parts of the lawn several times. I like mowing. I used to do it a lot before Anna took over. She doesn't like it when I mow. The lines are all weird. She does perfect lines.

Anyway, I got to the guy's backyard - more long lush grass. I am about half way through with the back yard when I remember what the man said about the vegetables. I looked around...no vegetables. Hmmm. I looked next door. Mucho vegetables!

I was mowing the wrong yard!

My heart sank. I knew I would have to cancel my lunch appointment. I was trying to think how I could explain away what would be a very long mowing job to my wife. I was also worried the folks might show up and shoot me. I had the thought - for real - am I senile? I thought about just leaving - just getting out of there - but then I said to myself, "I've gone this far I may as well do a good job."

So, I finished. Then I went next door and mowed the yard I was supposed to mow. Finally I got home. There was no way around it. I had to tell my wife. She tried not to laugh because I can be very sensitive about being laughed at. But my 11 year old couldn't contain herself. I'll exact my revenge. In time.

Later in the day I'm just finishing mowing my own yard and I look down the street and see a car in THAT driveway. Thinking there's no time like the present I marched down to apologize. I mean the guy had REALLY nice grass, and I've had a run in or two in my day with Lawn Nazi's, kind of like Anna but way bigger with a few Bud's for the heat, so I was a little worried the guy might just kick my butt right there on the spot. Or call the cops.

I walked up the drive way. There was a little girl looking at me from behind the glass door in that "never talk to strangers" kind of way that makes you feel like a total, well, you know. I said "Can you get your dad" and then I heard a voice from the garage.

The guy came out and I introduced myself. We shook hands. He seemed young enough to be my son. I told him that I had come down to offer an apology, and he was like, "OK....?" probably wondering what in the world had I done. I told him the story. He seemed worried at first not knowing where it was all going, but then at the punch line he laughed and was very gracious.

He said he had just gotten back from Virginia Beach and was tired and had been thinking about how he had to mow the grass and all, and when he drive up, there it was, all mowed. He even said I did a good job (which I need to tell Anna), but then he may have only been trying to make me feel better. He offered to pay me. "No," I said, "I can't accept any money. I'm just sorry it happened." He offered to have us down for a cookout and then we commenced to talking about deep sea fishing about which I know nothing whatsoever.

I had to go. We shook hands. I told him I'd see him around. I said, "You don't HAVE to tell all the neighbors if you don't want to." He laughed.

I'm just waiting for warning posters to start showing up in the neighborhood with the picture of a man pushing a lawn mower - "Beware of the Lawnmower Bandit." Then I'll have to move for sure. Maybe to SC. Ahh, a silver lining....