The Northern Indiana Blizzard of 1978 is the worst on record in Hoosier history. It proved to be the first winter storm where a blizzard storm warning was issued for the entire state at 3:45 p.m. Jan. 25, 1978. Over the several day span of the storm, temperatures dipped to 4 degrees while winds created wind-chill temperatures near minus 60 degrees.

According to Sam Lashley of the National Weather Service, the worst three winters in recent history are 1977-78, 1981-82 and 2013-14. All place in the top three of recorded snowfall all-time, and are near the top of the list of coldest average temperature for a winter period.

The top overall snowfall for a winter was in the 1981-82 winter, with 81.2 inches. Second was last year with 75 inches, and third was 1977-78 with 60.6 inches. Lashley stated that nearly a third of the 1977-78 snowfall came during the infamous blizzard.

The coldest average temperature for a single winter was in 1977-78 at 25.3 degrees. The winter of 2013-14 was close behind with an average temperature of 26.2 degrees. Though the winter of 1981-82 tops the snowfall list, it was only the sixth coldest winter with a temperature average of 27.9 degrees.

According to Lashley, there is no indication yet as to how the winter of 2014-15 will stack up with the giant that was the 1977-78 winter.

Ink Free News would like to invite anyone with stories or pictures from historically bad winters of the past to share them with us to be posted in a follow-up piece.