Although some died of exposure, the most frequent cause of death in blizzards is heart attack, often from shoveling snow. Tragically, 71 people died during the blizzard, most of them in Ohio. The blizzard reached Massachusetts on Feb. 6, 1978, and the snow did not stop falling for 32 hours. The Blizzard of ‘78 is a storm that will be remembered. 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. 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. Parts of Boston’s South Shore and Woonsocket, R.I., got hit with the most: 54 inches. 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. Sometimes it fell as fast as four inches an hour. It didn’t stop for 33 hours, dumping two feet of snow on New England. The 1978 blizzard started with snow during the morning of February 6.