Parts of Boston’s South Shore and Woonsocket, R.I., got hit with the most: 54 inches. It didn’t stop for 33 hours, dumping two feet of snow on New England. Sometimes it fell as fast as four inches an hour. The Blizzard of ‘78 is a storm that will be remembered. Although some died of exposure, the most frequent cause of death in blizzards is heart attack, often from shoveling snow. The 1978 blizzard started with snow during the morning of February 6. The blizzard reached Massachusetts on Feb. 6, 1978, and the snow did not stop falling for 32 hours. The "Great Blizzard of 1978" dumped vast amounts of snow across the region and caused widespread near-hurricane strength wind gusts that heaped snow into enormous drifts. A legend to those who lived through it, this once-in-a-lifetime storm will always be the standard by which the severities of all future winter storms to hit this region are judged. Tragically, 71 people died during the blizzard, most of them in Ohio. Although some died of exposure, the most frequent cause of death in blizzards is heart attack, often from shoveling snow. A historic nor'easter brought blizzard conditions to New England, New Jersey and the New York City area at the beginning of February in 1978.