31 years ago a snowstorm began in Chicago. It ended three days later, and by that time 21 inches of snow had fallen. And this was on top of the 7 to 10 inches that were already on the ground from a storm on New Year’s Eve.

I was in high school at the time, and that’s my red 1974 VW Super Beetle under the white blanket. While VWs weren’t the best cold-weather cars (mostly due to their lack of heat), I will say that I was able to crawl through the streets while friends of mine in their rear-wheel drive cars cut donuts in the snow.

These photos were shot between January 12-14 1979 and give an idea of just how much we had to deal with.

This is one of my favorites: my sister Marybeth looking eye-level at our dog, Nicky. Nicky was “playing in the yard.”

So far, Chicago’s had a cold winter with a fair amount of snow, but I hope these photos will help the complainers keep perspective.