The Great Blizzard of 1947: Photos of New York, Buried in White

Written By: Ben Cosgrove

Something about snowstorms brings out the kid in most of us. Memories of those blessed, reprieves from school “Snow day!” undoubtedly plays a part in the collective excitement, and whether it’s in a vast metropolis or a remote, small town, the prospect of a blizzard can elicit, along with some apprehension, great anticipation, a sense of thrill.

There’s concern, certainly, about our families, our neighbors, our power and heat, our ability to get out and about in the snow and its aftermath, but there can also be a pure, underlying excitement.

In December 1947, a huge, historic storm dumped record levels of snow on the northeastern United States. In New York City, where the snow fell quietly, and steadily, for hours and hours, several LIFE photographers stepped out of the magazine’s offices, cameras in hand, and recorded the scene. Here, we remember the Great Blizzard of 1947 with some photos that ran in LIFE, and many others that were never published in the magazine.

As LIFE put it to its readers in its Jan. 5, 1948, issue:

“At 3:20 in the morning it began to snow in New York City. By the time most New Yorkers were going to work the blanket lay three inches deep. But the city, used to ignoring all natural phenomena and reassured by a weather forecast of “occasional flurries,” went about its business. But as the day wore on this characteristic blasé attitude vanished. The air grew filled with snowflakes so huge and thick it was almost impossible to see across the street. They fell without letup all morning, all afternoon and into the night.

Long after night fall the illuminated news sign of the New York Times flashed an announcement to little groups of people huddled in Times Square that the snowfall, which totaled an amazing 25.8 inches in less than 24 hours, had beaten the record of the city’s historic blizzard of 1880. A faint, muffled shout of triumph went up from the victims.”

Liz Ronk edited this gallery for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LizabethRonk.

A snowbound automobile in the middle of New York City’s West 22nd Street between a long line of other cars buried at the curb.

Andreas Feininger The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock

1947 Blizzard in New York City

Andreas Feininger The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock

1947 Blizzard in New York City

Michael Rougier The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock

1947 Blizzard in New York City

Al Fenn The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock

On the floor of Grand Central Station a father and his two young sons waited through the night for the train home.

Michael Rougier The LIFE Picture Collection/Shutterstock