Comments on: The Christmas Eve blizzard of 1982 – The best of Denver storms

By: CHAD LOSETH

CHAD LOSETH — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:32:29 +0000

I was 11 and out of town that christmas. Our friends were dog sitting and the got out. She was found on christmas day behind a snow drift next to a light pole in Del-Mar park Still alive and doing fine. Always wanted to get her an “I survived the blizzard of 82″ t-shirt.

By: Noreen

Noreen — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:48:36 +0000

I was freaking out! My wedding was set for New Year’s Eve in Arvada. My fiance and I were stuck in Colorado Springs. Things got plowed enough and we got through the wedding:)

29 years!!

By: Faith

Faith — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:02:35 +0000

I remember it well (with a bit of horror trembling through my bones). My brother was head of Engineering at Mercy Hospital in Denver. He spent many hours driving around town in his beefed-up/lifted 4WD Ford Eagle Truck bringing nurses into work for their shifts. Afterward, he came to get me in Englewood as my Ford Pinto (yes Pinto!) was completely buried under snow. We proceeded to drive to his house in southeast Aurora where we were to spend Christmas Eve with the family. Every entrance into Aurora was blocked by stranded vehicles. The last entrancy he attempted finally got him as well and the Ford beast was stuck too! We began to walk in the blizzard, through 3 and 4 feet of snow and terrible blowing blizzard conditions. Not long my feet were numb. Thank God an off-duty Aurora police officer came along and picked us up in his Jeep and delivered us to the end of the street where my brother lived. I barely escaped frostbite–my brother’s wife was a surgical nurse and began treating my feet as soon as we arrived home. Definitely the most memorable (in a bad sort of way)storm I’ve ever experienced and I am a native of Denver!

By: Lynn

Lynn — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:49:26 +0000

As many have shared, I got stuck at work Christmas Eve at the North Valley mall (84th and I-25). I was the General Manager of the May D&F department store there. My car was buried in the parking lot. I hitch hiked home with 3 different rides and managed to get home by 8pm. The next morning my wife’s family cross country skied to our house and spent the weekend. It was the most memorable Christmas ever.

By: Gary

Gary — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:05:21 +0000

I had been in Denver on and off from 1968. I generally found the winters mild( compared to Michigan winters). But the storm of 82 surprised me. The city wasn’t buried long due to the beautiful Colorado sunshine. But that morning I was having flash backs to great lakes winters I had survived.

By: Christy

Christy — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 04:35:00 +0000

My Dad moved us to Chicago, IL the fall of 1982. We all had been natives to Denver at that point. He was determined we would not be away from family that year so we treked the 1000 plus miles to be in Denver. We arrived on the 22nd. When we woke up on the morning of the 24th we could not see out the windows. The drifts had met the snow coming off the ranch roof making the house like an igloo. We shoveled 3 feet of snow just to be able to use the snowblower. Determined again to be with family we piled 7 of us and the dog into a 1976 Jeep Wagoneer and drove from Lakewood(6th and Wadsworth) to Denver(Colo Blvd. and Mississippi). We made it through drifts taller than the car. It was the most fun I have ever had in snow.

By: Buda

Buda — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 15:52:29 +0000

We went to visit my brothers for Christmas. We were staying at my newly married brother’s tiny, little, two bedroom apartment with 7 people. A friend came from the mountains and said, “get prepared we are going to get it!”. We danced under the street lights so happy for a white Christmas! But the snow never stopped! We felt bad for the nurses and doctors that couldn’t be relieved. We spoke with people that were going to help in the four wheel drives. Being adventurous, we had to see. We got to the end of the street and it was a ghost town. We started sliding so we went back home to batton down the hatches to what seemed like a storm that would never end! We ended up with cabin fever, fighting, crying, the car was buried under a 7 ft snow drift. We finally ventured home. The road was so icy and there was a grave yard of half buried semis and cars on the sides. We barely said a word back to Eastern Nebraska. Creeping along. It was so scary yet we were thankful we survived. Final note, I moved to Texas!

By: Linda Moscato

Linda Moscato — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 10:42:21 +0000

I forgot to add my daughter Anna was in Littleton visiting her aunt, so we celebrated two Christmas twice as it was over a week before a friend could bring her home. One Christmas with my son Dean and one with Anna after the storm.

By: Linda Moscato

Linda Moscato — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 10:38:28 +0000

I am now living in Florida, but I worked for Thornton PD when this storm hit. Glad I took vacation at that time. Our officers had to walk to help people. Some used their own four wheel drive vehicles. After the storm pot holes of ice were so deep they could take out the front end of your car. Parking lots became skating rinks. T shirts read “I survived the storm of 1982″. Everything came to a screeching halt as the wind blew continuously bringing in more snow. My elk hound Bear had to make a path for our sheltie Kelly outside. I will never forget this experience.

By: dean

dean — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 05:36:10 +0000

from florida live in and love colorado had a 4 foot fence buried in snow next day we took pics in shorts @ t shirts to send to fla