My Dad has some really cool old photos of blizzards in LaFayette where I grew up, and he wrote some words around some of these photos. As I’ve been busy with other things today, I decided to add what he wrote about the winter of 1947-48.
Written by my Dad, January 2006
Date: Winter, Jan-Feb 1947 or 1948 Location: LaFayette Rd., LaFayette, NY
This first photo was taken about 6:30 PM. This snow was the result of a blizzard and LaFayette Rd. had been unusable for about three days. It was an area-wide storm and the total of Onondaga County was “shoveling” out. Earlier in the afternoon I had ventured out of the house, down to the road to see if the County was able to plow yet. Indeed, about 1.5 or 2.0 miles north on LaFayette Rd. I could faintly hear and see the twin plumes of the “Sno-Go” as it chopped, augured and blew the offending snow into the fields. It took three to four hours to cover this 1.5 to 2.0 miles. The County of Onondaga was exceptional at keeping the roads clear to aide the dairy farmers in getting their milk to the creamery in Onatavia. Onatavia is about 3/4 mile east, as the “crow files,” of the cross-roads of Routes 11 and 20 at LaFayette, NY. 
I informed my father they were working at about Crow’s Farm, where I had first heard and seen the clearing effort. Included here are four photos as the “Sno-Go” approached in the dark. My father had asked my Mom to prepare a supper for the drivers. In the second photo you will see the machine at rest just after they had eaten – note the meal basket on the snow. A tremendous machine this Walter Sno Fighter with the augers and blowers in front and the power to drive the augers and blowers coming from the engine mounted in back of the cab. 
The next photo is a shot from the back while drivers were finishing their meal. 
The next photo is the machine and men back to work. In this photo I am able to make out the two plumes of snow being blown to the east side of LaFayette Rd.
Nature Woman 