Do you remember the April 1973 Iowa blizzard? Over 10 inches of snow, 100s of drivers stranded

Margaret Ludington
·2 min read
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Who's dreaming of a white Easter?

This Easter Sunday, April 9, marks the 50th anniversary of the April blizzard of 1973. It wasn’t Easter or even Sunday that year. It was a Monday. Jim’s work was called off and the all the area schools were closed. (The timing of the storm was officially April 8-10, according to the National Weather Service.)

Jim and I were living in the Cox Apartments located on Fourth Street SW north of Altoona Elementary. Our apartment was on the lower level of the building and the windows faced north. The north wind, reported at the time to have been blowing up to 65 mph, sandblasted the building with icy flakes. We kept our drapes closed to deaden the sound and preserve the heat. We passed some of the time playing cards with neighbors.

Jim was fortunate not to have to try to reach his job in the Federal Building downtown. A Google search to refresh my memory turned up reports in the Des Moines Register and the Des Moines Tribune of hundreds of drivers stranded in multiple locations along the freeway. A photo showed a couple identified as Mr. and Mrs. Paul Abbott of Altoona inside an Iowa National Guard personnel carrier after being rescued on Interstate 80. The accompanying story said the Abbotts got stuck five miles from Altoona on the way home from the Quad Cities.

When the storm finally blew itself out on Tuesday, our Chevy Vega parked in front of the apartment building had an engine compartment packed with snow. My recollection is that the engine needed some mechanical adjustments once it thawed out.

Eddie Ryan of New York, stranded during an April 1973 blizzard, watches rescue workers approach in armored personnel carriers on Interstate 80 east of Des Moines. Some parts of Iowa saw drifts as tall as 16 feet.
Eddie Ryan of New York, stranded during an April 1973 blizzard, watches rescue workers approach in armored personnel carriers on Interstate 80 east of Des Moines. Some parts of Iowa saw drifts as tall as 16 feet.

How much snow fell during the Iowa blizzard in 1973?

The National Weather Service recorded the official snowfall at 14 inches, but wind had driven most of it into drifts, some as high as 16 feet. Seven Polk County residents, five of them under age 60, died of heart attacks brought on while shoveling snow.

Eastern Iowa and Wisconsin also got hit hard. Turkeys and livestock were killed. Spring planting was delayed.

Living through the April of 1973 blizzard taught me that winter ain’t over till it’s over in Iowa.

The storm was one among several notable events that year. Jim’s first niece was born on April 6. It was the year of the first RAGBRAI, which was held August 26-31. I was in Mercy Hospital when the riders passed through Altoona. I’d just given birth to our son Jake.

I have to admit 1973 was exciting, but I’m pulling for a green Easter.

Margaret Ludington has lived in Altoona since 1971. She is a retired staff writer and editorial writer for the Herald-Index. Margaret is a mother of two, grandmother of four. She and her husband travel frequently and have visited every state except Alaska and five Canadian provinces.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: The Iowa blizzard of 1973 hit in April. This Easter marks 50 years.