BLIZZARD OF 1960 Gales & Record Snows Blast eastern U.S. - Lulled by predictions of a mild winter, the eastern United States is ill-prepared to have the roof fall in with a 20-hour snowstorm that pours down nearly two-feet in New York, a record fall that completely snarls the metropolitan area, shutting down all schools, and cutting off thousands of commuters from the city. Shoveling. Snow piled high, cars stuck.