Last week's snowstorm created quite a stir for most of us as weather forecasters predicted that anywhere from 8 to 12 inches would fall around here.  Fortunately, not

The Christmas Eve storm of 1966 brought with it some scenic views.  Here, snow blankets the Peevy Road Bridge across the Perkiomen Creek.  The former Perkio- men Roller Mill is seen in the background.

quite that much of the white-stuff blanketed our area and the road crews did a fine job of keeping the roadways open and safe.

            "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know."  The words from this seasonal classic, sung as only crooner Bing Crosby could, have the power to invoke fond memories and send many local minds home for the holidays.  Remembering is still one of the best and least expensive trips you can take. 

            For those who may not know about or recall the two weeks leading up to Christmas of 1966, it was one of those holiday seasons to remember.

            Early to mid-December of 1966 was unseasonably warm during the day and seasonably cold at night.  We had nice days, but the thermometer had absolutely no trouble finding the freezing mark

A mantle of snow cloaked local roads by mid-afternoon causing cancellation of many church services.  The   record-breaking storm ended Sunday, but traveling was   hazardous in many places and impossible in some.  This is a view of New Goshenhoppen Church from Church Road in Upper Hanover Township.

when the sun went down. 

            The first significant snowfall that year came on the evening of December 13th when five inches of the white stuff blanketed the ground.  In less than 48 hours the daytime warm-up had melted most of the accumulation.  One week later, snow started falling in the morning hours and continued until more than seven inches of it covered the area. 

            With just five days to go till Christmas, many thought that a white holiday was in the bag.  Weather forecasters thought otherwise and predicted another warming trend would wipe out the ground cover in a few days and we would have to settle for a green and wet holiday.  Boy, were they were wrong.

            I remember Christmas Eve, Saturday, December 24, 1966 quite well.  Schools were on holiday break, and I was working to earn a little spending money by loading trucks at a food supply company in Harleysville. 

            I had gone to work around 10 a.m. that day, just about the time the snowflakes began to fall.  Being inside on the loading dock, my only perception of what was going

Two large plastic air-supported warehouses at Knoll Ass- ociates, a furniture manufacturer in Upper Hanover Township, collapsed during the 1966 snowstorm.  Eight- een employees showed up on Christmas Day to move  items out of the collapsed warehouses and into the manu- facturing plant.

on outside came when we opened the overhead doors to switch a full truck with an empty one.  It was about 7 p.m. when the last truck was backed up to the platform. 

            The snow was really coming down by then, and the powdery precipitation had easily accumulated to a depth of six inches.  The winds had whipped up into a gale force frenzy creating incredibly high drifts.  The storm now included loud thunder and dangerous lightning as the warm air to the east clashed overhead with the cold air of the west.

            There was only one lane open on Sumneytown Pike from Harleysville to Green Lane when we started our trek home, and the drifts on either side of the road were as high as the roof of the car.  It took us nearly two hours to drive to East Greenville.

            Fred Eschbach, the official U.S. Weather Reporter in Palm, reported 13 inches of snow there.  Other nearby areas reported 17 inches and more.

            Most of the church services were canceled or postponed but about 71 hardy congregants made it to Palm Schwenkfelder Church for the 7:30 p.m. Christmas Candlelight Service. 

           Rural roads were clogged as travelers were forced to abandon their cars at the point where they could travel no further.  There were many stories of the kindness of local residents aiding and housing stranded holiday motorists on this special day. 

            The holiday was put on hold for state and local road crews as they worked throughout Christmas Day to open the roads.  Impeding their progress and making their job much harder were the continuing high winds and drifting snow.

            By Monday, progress was made as measured by the local folk at the time.  Woodson Dairy of Red Hill reported that all of their route drivers were able to serve all their customers that day.  Brunner's Bakery of East Greenville reported that by Tuesday they were able to serve all of their customers with the exception of those with long lanes that were not yet plowed.  If you had home delivery, you didn't need to rush out to the crowded supermarkets before the first flake fell – the local business operators and their employees would take care of you.

            Local postmasters reported that by Tuesday morning, most rural mail carriers were able to serve their customers with only a few exceptions – mostly those who failed to shovel the snow away from their mailboxes to make them accessible.   

            At the time, it was a record snowfall for our area during the month of December.  The U.S. Weather Bureau officially recorded 27 inches of snow around here.  The bitter cold and drifting from the holiday storm made it seem much worse.

            After a ho-hum, up and down beginning of December, the temperatures took a nosedive after Christmas, dropping to near zero and preventing the snow from melting. 

On Wednesday, Dec. 28, a temperature of -5 degrees was reported at Green Lane Park.

            It was a Christmas season to remember.