1979 Chicago blizzard

The Chicago blizzard of 1979 was a major blizzard that affected northern Illinois and northwest Indiana, United States on January 13–14, 1979. It was one of the largest Chicago snowstorms in history at the time, with 21 inches of snowfall in the two-day period. 

Only two to four inches of snow was expected but by the end of January 14, the depth of snow on the ground peaked at 29 inches. The blizzard lasted for a total of 38 hours. 

At its peak, wind gusts reached speeds of 39 miles per hour.  Five people died during the blizzard, with about 15 others seriously injured. One of the five deaths came when a snowplow driver attacked 34 cars and a man.

References

Category:20th century in Chicago
Category:1979 in the United States
Category:20th century in Indiana
Category:1970s in weather