The aftermath of the Feb. 18-19, 1979 snowstorm, as seen near the intersection of Stenton Avenue and Paper Mill Road. (Photo courtesy of Chestnut Hill Conservancy)

by Alex Bartlett, Archivist, Chestnut Hill Conservancy

The arrival of winter often brings with it beautiful vistas of wind-swept snow and can turn our area into a playground, well suited for children and adults alike. Many snowstorms and blizzards have blanketed the Chestnut Hill area in years past, including those of 1978, 1979, 1983, 1993, 1996, 2003, 2009, 2010 and 2014. That one on Feb. 18-19, 1979 – sometimes called the President’s Day snowstorm – was quite large in intensity but has all but since been forgotten.

The storm was renowned for escaping prediction by meteorologists and therefore municipalities in the Mid-Atlantic were caught off guard and were unprepared for the intensity of the storm. In our area, approximately 14 inches of snow fell during the storm, which snarled traffic and caused many area businesses to close. Seen here during the storm’s aftermath is the intersection of Stenton Avenue and Bethlehem Pike. The view is from Stenton Avenue, facing northwest towards Paper Mill Road. Notice that the cars in the foreground are facing the wrong way, as shown by their orientation in relation to the sign towards the left center of the photograph.

These and similar photographs make perfect gifts for friends and family. We can provide you with high-resolution scans, which can then be printed and framed to suit, or we can do it for you.

For further information, you can contact me at (215)247-9329 ext. 206, or at alex@chconservancy.org