INDIANAPOLIS — For long-time Hoosiers, when snowstorms are in the forecast, the Blizzard of '78 comes to mind.
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That's the case for Faith Toole, who lives in Pittsboro now. She lived in Noblesville in 1978, and she had a one-week-old baby during the blizzard.
"We actually saved water. We got buckets and pans," Toole remembered of the blizzard. "We had oil heat at the time, so we had to make sure our oil was good."
The blizzard became a benchmark of sorts, since it set many weather records.
"I really thought it would be a once-in-a-lifetime, but we got so close this time around. We really did. I'm just thankful we didn't," Toole said.
The winter storm that happened across Central Indiana on January 24 and 25, 2026, did pack quite the punch for Hoosiers, with an event snowfall total of 11.1" in Indianapolis and frigid temperatures.
Did the storm compare to the historic Blizzard of '78?
The blizzard occurred over the period of January 25, 26, and 27, 1978. It was the first time a blizzard warning was ever issued for Indiana.
What is a blizzard? It doesn't entail snow totals. Instead, it focuses on the impact of gusty winds (gusts over 35 mph) and low visibility (less than a quarter mile) that lasts for an extended period of time (three hours).
During the storm in 1978, wind gusts over 50 mph lasted through the 26 and 27 of January.
"The wind, I'll never forget the wind, how it blew!" exclaimed Toole.
The National Weather Service recorded visibility less than a quarter mile for 25 hours straight.
The wind in the 1978 storm also created blowing and drifting snow, with some drifts 20 to 25 feet.
How does this compare to the 2026 storm?
Wind gusts stayed less than 30 mph, so this time, we did not reach blizzard criteria.
We did see quite a bit of snow: 11.1" in Indianapolis, with other areas in Central Indiana seeing even higher totals.
In 1978, it snowed 15.5" across the three days.
1978 was also unique because there had already been a bit of snow on the ground before the blizzard got started.
To this day, the Blizzard of '78 still holds the record for the most snow on the ground in Indianapolis, set at 20".
"It felt like it snowed a lot longer. Had we had the wind, it would have been '78 all over again," Toole said.
It was very cold, with lows near zero degrees, and wind chills near -50 degrees during the blizzard.
Similarly, in 2026, we have frigid air temperatures, meaning it will be difficult to clear the snow this week. Temperatures may not climb above freezing until next week.
The roads and businesses that have been shut down following the storm in 2026 are a reminder of the closures in 1978.
Toole says she stayed at home following the blizzard, mainly focusing on sleeping when she could (because of her one-week-old baby).
"Reading, we were into word search at the time," Toole remembered how she spent the time indoors. "We didn't have devices to do anything. We had the TV, and that was it."
Luckily for Hoosiers, technology has come a long way since 1978, meaning there was more to do while cooped up indoors during the 2026 storm.
"It wasn't as boring, because it was 24/7 news coverage for the weather!" laughed Toole. "And you know, I had my games on my phone to play, movies to watch."
