The 10 Worst Blizzards Ever Recorded in the U.S.

DenisTangneyJr/GettyImages In a perfect world, snow days mean cozy blankets, canceled plans, and watching flurries fall outside your window. But sometimes winter weather has a mind of its own. There are 10 notable blizzards that stand out as the worst winter storms in U.S. history. We’re not talking about minor inconveniences like having to scrape ice off your car windshield and waiting to receive a call that school will be closed for the day. These weather events completely shut down cities, rewrote safety rules, and wreaked havoc on the population. They were pivotal moments that reshaped the way we prepare for and respond to winter storms. They changed how cities were built, how storms were forecasted, and how seriously we heed winter weather warnings to this day. From snow drifts taller than houses to 100-car pile-ups, here's an overview of the blizzards that made Americans rethink their relationship with winter. 01. GREAT BLIZZARD OF 1888 Great Blizzard Of 1888 | Bettmann/GettyImages March 1888 started innocently enough in the Northeast, and then it buried itself. New York, Boston, and surrounding cities were hit with hurricane-force winds and relentless snowfall, creating drifts as high as second-story windows. Transportation was stopped in its tracks, food deliveries were halted, and 400 people lost their lives. The storm exposed fragile infrastructure and pushed the development of underground subways and utility lines. DEATH TOLL: 400+ WHITE HURRICANE (1913) Cleveland Storm Damage, 1913 | Heritage Images/GettyImages In November 1913 a massive storm system exploded over the Great Lakes, combining snow, ice, and extreme winds into the White Hurricane. Ships were tossed, shore communities were blanketed in snow. More than 250 people died, many at sea. DEATH TOLL: 250+ KNICKERBOCKER STORM (1922) The Knickerbocker Storm, 1922 | Buyenlarge/GettyImages January 1922: nearly 30 inches fell around Washington D.C.; the roof of the Knickerbocker Theatre collapsed during a movie showing, killing nearly 100 people. Streetcars were stranded and roads disappeared. DEATH TOLL: 98 CHICAGO BLIZZARD OF 1967 Chicago Snowstorm Of 1967 | Chicago History Museum/GettyImages January 1967: 23 inches in 24 hours in Chicago with towering drifts and fierce winds. Cars vanished under snow, public transit halted. 60 people died. DEATH TOLL: 86 BLIZZARD OF 1978 Long Island, blizzard of 1978 | Newsday LLC/GettyImages Early February 1978: heavy snow, coastal flooding, and hurricane-force winds slammed the Midwest and Northeast. Roads impassable, widespread power outages, airports shut down for days. Dozens of deaths. DEATH TOLL: 70+ STORM OF THE CENTURY (1993) Blizzard of 1993 | New York Daily News Archive/GettyImages The 1993 Storm of the Century stretched from Canada to Central America, dumped feet of snow, spawned tornadoes, and knocked out power for millions. Over 300 fatalities and billions in damage. DEATH TOLL: 318 BLIZZARD OF 1996 Skiing on West End Avenue, 1996 | James Leynse/GettyImages January 1996: classic blizzard to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, up to 37 inches. Aftermath caused billions in damage. DEATH TOLL: 154 SNOWMAGEDDON (2010) Albany snowstorm 2010 | Albany Times Union/Hearst Newspapers/GettyImages February 2010: 'Snowmageddon' dumped up to 36 inches across major East Coast cities, closed schools, stalled traffic, and caused power outages. DEATH TOLL: 41+ GROUNDHOG DAY BLIZZARD (2011) Elisa Vendramin/GettyImages 2011: powerful storm across the Midwest and Great Lakes, nearly 30 inches in some regions. Travel was treacherous, power outages widespread. DEATH TOLL: 36 WINTER STORM JONAS (2016) Winter 2016 | Anadolu/GettyImages Winter storm Jonas produced over 40 inches in some locations; airports shut down, highways closed, more than 50 people died despite days of warning. DEATH TOLL: 48+ More Like This 4 related articles loaded Home / WEATHER