Robinson Township Historical Society: Storm of the Century?

On Saturday, March 13, 1993, what was called the Storm of the Century crippled the eastern third of the United States. Beginning the night of March 12, Pittsburgh’s 23.5-inch snowfall was the largest ever recorded here in a 24-hour period.

The city of Pittsburgh was virtually shut down.

In Robinson Township, nearly everyone had a story to tell. Montour High School students remember the endless hours they spent shoveling driveways — and the ensuing aches and pains.

A Robinson man was called up by the National Guard to rescue stranded motorists.

A Robinson couple and their daughter were at Allegheny College in Meadville for a Parents’ Information Day, but by 1:30 p.m., events were canceled and everyone headed home.

The problem was, as the family made its way south along I-79, some of the exit ramps were impassable. Fortunately for them, the Moon Run exit – Exit 60 – was open to Steubenville Pike. But unfortunately for them, it took four hours to drive just three miles to their home on Kathleen Drive.

But was it really the Storm of the Century? Arguably no. Many older folks still remember an even bigger snowstorm, the “Big Snow” of 1950.

The snowfall of 27.5 inches in late November of that year brought Western Pennsylvania to a standstill, closing businesses and schools, and even shutting down public transportation. Lifelong resident Bob Glass remembers it well, as he was 14 at the time.

“Robinson was mostly farmlands then, and the roads were only two lanes,” said Glass, whose family at the time had a large farm in the township. “Our biggest problem was finding a way to get feed to our 5,000 chickens. Fortunately, we had enough grain on hand for several days, and then, with help from a neighbor with a bulldozer, we got the feed truck up the hill. There were big problems for not only farmers but everyone.”

When snowplows finally got through, there was no room to dump the snow, so any and all available vacant spaces — lots, parks, ballfields, and even the rivers — were used. In fact, so much snow piled up that some of the mounds lasted until April!