A Look Back at The Blizzard of 2013 in Salem

Between Friday evening and late Saturday morning, The Blizzard of 2013 dropped more than a foot of snow on the city of Salem, caused white-out conditions and had local residents dealing with some minor coastal flooding.

News of the storm prompted a rush at the Salem Market Basket Thursday afternoon and local firefighters responded to a report of overcrowding shortly after 12 p.m.

At 11:51 a.m. Friday, local police officers responded to a motor vehicle accident at the intersection of Madeline Avenue and Appleby Road. A man told police he started his girlfriend's car to warm it up and when he came back the car was down a hill and against another vehicle.

Despite the 20 inches of snow and wind gusts as high as 50 mph, there were very few reported power outages in Salem, according to the National Grid Power Outage Map, and many local business owners were able to reopen by Saturday afternoon.

At 11:15 a.m., Salem firefighters responded to a report of minor coastal flooding near Pioneer Terrace, according to the department's unofficial Facebook page.

Police responded to only a handful of weather-related motor vehicle accidents during the storm. Gov. Deval Patrick issued a statewide driving ban beginning at 4 p.m. Friday, which prompted quite the discussion among our readers.

Members of the Salem Fire Department were kept busy overnight Friday, extinguishing two reported snow plow fires. In the morning, firefighters were called in to rescue a horse on Robinson Road that managed to get itself wedged under a fence while rolling in the snow.

Plow drivers working to clear the roads through the center of the city Friday night were operating in near white-out conditions and snow was falling at a rate of two to three inches per hour at times.

When Salem residents opened their windows Saturday morning, they were greeted by high snow drifts and the potential for coastal flooding at the 10 a.m. high tide. 

Cross-country skiers, snow-shoers and sledders were out and about on local streets by mid-morning and roads were passable by the time the statewide parking ban was lifted at 4 p.m.

CLICK HERE to check out some amazing user-submitted photos from the storm.

Salem residents are being encouraged to clear their sidewalks and any fire hydrants near their homes. You should also make time to look around the outside of your home to make sure your vents aren't blocked by snow.

There's rain in the forecast, so Click Here for tips on how to minimize the risk of over-stressing a roof due to accumulated or drifting snow.

Do you have a story, photos or video from the storm that you'd like to share with your neighbors? Let us know in the comments section below or click the submit photos and videos button above.