The Big Snows: A look back at some of Spartanburg's biggest snowstorms

While it looks like the massive snow accumulations are going to miss Spartanburg this week, the coming winter storm has certainly brought back memories for those who were in town for some of the great snowstorms of the past.

Here are some of the stories of big snows past:

1988

According to articles from the Jan. 7, 1988 edition of the Herald-Journal, people made a rush on the grocery stores, clearing out the bread aisles in anticipation of a snow storm that promised 4-6 inches.

Coverage the following day showed accumulation far exceeded expectations, reporting 18 inches in some areas by the end of the storm’s first day.

Flights were canceled, all schools were out for at least a week and hundreds of travelers were stranded on Interstate 85.

There were happy and amusing stories mixed in as well — recipes for snow cream, a notice that the Spartanburg Ski Club was canceling its Thursday meeting due to the amount of snow on the roads, and a feature on the bakeries providing for the community while grocery stores were closed. Also included, a story on The Beacon Drive-In, which remained open while other restaurants closed and served hundreds of customers.

“We felt like the people in Spartanburg have been so good to us for 41 years, the least we can do in this kind of weather is serve good, fresh food,” owner John B. White Sr. is quoted as saying.

Readers on the Spartanburg Herald-Journal Facebook page had vivid memories of this storm.

Joe Brunson said he was snowed in during the 1988 storm in Pauline, and Kris Rao remembered waiting out the storm at Converse University, then Converse College.

“It seemed like every student living on Converse campus was up at 7 a.m. Some students had never experienced snow at all,” Rao wrote. “We never lost power, and the cafeteria staff had hot meals for us. We were very fortunate!”

1987

There was also a surprising snowstorm in January 1987. The Herald-Journal for Jan. 22, 1987 said the predicted six inch snow was really an 8-12 inch snow throughout the Greenville-Spartanburg area. The headline? "It snowed and snowed!"

National Weather Service meteorologist Dick Mitchell was quoted saying the highest snow accumulation was 13 inches in Inman. The storm left 10,000 households without power.

1971

According to Herald-Journal articles, the snowstorm on Dec. 3, 1971, brought nearly a foot of snow by the following day. Depths of 11-12 inches were reported in Cowpens, 10 inches in Landrum, 8 inches in Chesnee, and 9 inches in Woodruff and Pacolet. The National Weather Service was reporting 10 inches by the Greenville- Spartanburg International Airport.

Traffic was tied up at every major intersection and many minor ones. Some drivers even abandoned their cars in the roads.

All public schools were closed, as were several colleges.

One snow-related injury was reported — a Union man was injured while out shopping when a snow-filled awning collapsed on top of him.

1930

On the afternoon of Dec. 17, 1930, the Spartanburg Journal reported depths up to 14 inches of snow with the headline "Snowstorm paralyzes city traffic." The National Weather Service ranks it historically as the second heaviest snowstorm in the Greenville-Spartanburg area, outranked by the 15-inch accumulations of Feb. 15, 1902.

Flights were cancelled between Atlanta and New York, city buses were suspended, and a few minor traffic crashes with no injuries occurred.

However, in the city, the school was still on schedule. Principal L.W. Jenkins told reporters that many students were tardy or absent that morning.

1927

This March 1927 storm started small, with about 4 inches the first day of March, but reached accumulations of 10 inches by the second day blanketing most of the state including Columbia, Greenwood, Greenville, Rock Hill, and Gaffney.

Reporters at the Spartanburg Journal painted a vivid picture of the city during the storm writing, "This morning residents of the city awoke to find themselves virtually 'snowed in' and shovels and improvised snow plows were employed to move the snow from pavements and sidewalks."

The snowstorm followed a period of warm weather during which fruit farmers had seen blossoms, a cause for concern following the storm. Another headline during the storm stated that Greenville's peach crop prospects had been ruined.

Samantha Swann covers food and restaurants in Spartanburg County. She is a University of South Carolina Upstate and Greenville Technical College alumna. Contact her with your burning restaurant questions, recipes, and new dinner specials at sswann@shj.com or on Instagram at @sameatsspartanburg.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Spartanburg, South Carolina's worst snow storms: A look back