The Blizzard of 1966 was a nor' easter that impacted the northeastern United States and Eastern Canada from January 29-February 1, 1966. Heavy lake effect snows preceded the cyclonic storm southeast of Lake Ontario. In and around the Lake Ontario snow belt, the storm period is considered to have lasted from January 27 - February 1, 1966, and the blizzard was a combination nor' easter and lake effect event in this region. Prior to the event, temperatures plunged to record low levels in central and northern New York as Arctic air dominated in the wake of an earlier cyclone. Syracuse, NY, tied its official record low of -26°F on January 26. Within days, at least 142 people had been killed — 31 had frozen to death, 46 died in fires that started while people were trying to heat their home. Others died from heart attacks while shoveling snow or pushing cars, or traffic accidents caused by slick roads. The death toll reached 201 by Wednesday, February 2, as the storm eased. New Market, Alabama, recorded a state record low of -27°F on January 30. On Monday, January 31, federal government employees in Washington were excused from reporting to work and international airports were closed from Boston to Washington, D.C. The additional accumulation raised the snow level to in Norfolk, Virginia. Conditions East of Lake Ontario Heavy lake effect snow fell southeast of Lake on January 27, 28, and 29, before the heavy snows from the cyclone reached the area on January 30. Lake effect bands continued to impact northern Cayuga, Onondaga, Madison, Oswego, and Oneida counties even during the cyclonic portion of the event on January 30-31. Winds were more than during the storm. The snow was badly drifted and roads and schools closed as long as a week. Drifts covered entire 2 story houses. A total of of snow was recorded at Southwest Oswego by meteorologist and associate earth science professor Robert Sykes Jr. His total includes of this falling on the calendar day of January 31 alone. Sykes' measurement methodology was designed to arrive at a "true" snowfall total and account for the settling effects of the wind on snow accumulation. His methodology included estimation and frequent measurements. While Sykes methodology was certainly rigorous and scientific, it is not directly comparable to official snowfall measuring practices utilized by the National Weather Service. The official Oswego snowfall total for