Presidents' Day snowstorm of 1979

Item

Item sets
Mall Histories
Washington
Title
Presidents' Day snowstorm of 1979
Date
02/19/1979
Description
On Presidents' Day 1979 a 22-inch blizzard shut down Washington, DC. Forecasters had predicted that the storm would bypass the city, so residents and city planners were taken by surprise. For the first time in fifty years, the Smithsonian museums were closed for two days in a row. Farmers in town to protest agricultural policy as part of a movement called "Tractorcade" used their tractors to help clear streets and get emergency personnel to hospitals.
Source
Smithsonian Institution Archive. View original.
Coverage
1950-1979
Event Type
Environmental Disaster