61 years ago, St. Patrick’s Day blizzard raged

By virtue of its occurring on March 17, St. Patrick’s Day in Minnesota tends to be chilly.  Snow falls with some regularity on the holiday, but the amounts are usually quite light, more like flurries.  However, there have been a handful of occasions when a substantial snowfall made the Irish celebration a “wearin o’ the white.”

The biggest St. Patrick’s Day snowfall in Springfield occurred in 1965 when 14 inches of snow fell and then developed into a blizzard.  Longtime residents of the area say the St. Patrick’s Day blizzard is the worst snowstorm they remember.  Coincidentally, the Springfield area experienced the same scenario this past weekend.  Does it bring back memories of those who remember the ’65 storm?

The 1965 storm started the evening of Tuesday, March 16, and developed into a full-scale blizzard the afternoon of St. Patrick’s Day.  Besides 14 inches of snow, winds attained velocities as high as 60 miles per hour and created huge drifts.

See complete story in this week's issue of the Springfield Advance-Press.