History Fact Finder | Natural and Man-Made Disasters - What Were The Harshest Blizzards To Hit The United States?

What were the harshest blizzards to hit the United States?

The Northeastern United States and the Great Plains often shudder under severe winter storms. On March 12, 1888, an early spring blizzard, dubbed the Great White Hurricane, hit the Northeast, where trees were already budding. By March 14, 22 inches (56 centimeters) of snow had fallen on New York City, and high winds whipped the snow into snowdrifts 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6.1 meters) high. In Upstate New York (Albany and Troy) and south of New York (Middleton, Connecticut), 4 feet (1.2 meters) of snow blanketed the ground. During this storm, 200 ships sank or ran aground, killing 100 people. On land, some 400 lives were lost, primarily from exposure to the cold.

Residents of Chicago are used to heavy snowstorms, but in January 1967 the weather tested their patience. Over a two-day period (January 26–27), 2 feet (.61 meters) of snow fell in...

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