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A look back at 19 of the biggest winter storms to hit the US in the last century

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A look back at 19 of the biggest winter storms to hit the US in the last century

Cab driver pushes his taxi cab after getting stuck on 33rd St. near Ninth Ave. after a blizzard.
Over 30 US states are preparing for Winter Storm Fern.

New York Daily News Archive/NY Daily News via Getty Images

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  • Historic blizzards have caused fatalities, major damage, and lasting infrastructure changes.
  • The Great Appalachian Storm of 1950 killed 383 people and dropped 62 inches of snow in some areas.
  • A staggering 189 inches of snow fell on Mount Shasta, California, in 1959.

The US is experiencing a potentially historic winter storm.

As Winter Storm Fern sweeps across the country this weekend and into the start of the week, more than half of the US states are expected to be impacted by severe wintry weather, including ice, heavy snow, and dangerously cold wind chills.

The worst snowstorms in the US since the 1920s have killed hundreds of people, caused billions of dollars worth of damage, and, for many who lived through them, been impossible to forget.

Many of them have been blizzards. Meteorologist David Stark told The New York Times that means winds are at least 35 mph and visibility is less than 1/4 mile.

As we wait to see the impact of this weekend's monster snowstorm, here are some of the worst snowstorms in recent US history.

The Knickerbocker Storm of 1922
View of a cars buried in snow during the so-called Knickerbocker Storm, a blizzard that dropped 28 inches of snow on Washington DC, January 28, 1922.

Buyenlarge/Getty Images

From January 27 to January 29, this blizzard, which traveled up from the southeast US and centered on Washington, DC, dropped 24 inches of snow.

Residents had no warning of the storm. On January 26, the Washington Times had predicted fair weather with slowly rising temperatures, per the National Endowment for the Humanities.

The snowstorm was named Knickerbocker after the Knickerbocker Theatre in Washington, which collapsed because of the snow's weight on the theater's roof. The collapse killed 98 people who were inside watching a silent film called "Get Rich Quick, Wallingford," and left another 133 injured.

Afterward, building codes were updated to require stronger roof support structures.

The Armistice Day Blizzard of 1940
November 1940: A farmer riding out in Lymon County, South Dakota, during the first stages of a blizzard.

John Vachon/Getty Images

On November 11, a fierce winter storm battered the Upper Midwest. Without much warning, temperatures suddenly dropped, snow began to fall, and the "winds of hell" — as reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel — began to blow.

As much as 26.6 inches of snowfall were recorded, the National Weather Service said.

According to a hunter who was stranded during the storm, only the tops of telephone poles could be seen above the snow, the St. Cloud Times reported.

It came suddenly, catching people unaware, killing 49 people in Minnesota, per the Minnesota Star Tribune, and 150 in total. It also killed 1.6 million turkeys.

The storm had lasting repercussions. To help with accuracy, local weather forecasting moved out of cities like Chicago to be more local so they could provide better predictions.

The Great Appalachian Storm of 1950
Fifteen street cars are lined up and out of service on Carson Street in Pittsburgh, Pa., November 26, 1950 due to this Winter snow storm. These trolleys have been stalled for several days. Operators gathered in one of the cars to play cards for a time but finally gave up and walked home.

AP Photo

Starting November 24, 22 states felt the wrath of this slow-moving blizzard that the Washington Post called a "meteorological powerhouse." It's also been called the Great Thanksgiving Storm.

The snowstorm covered an area from West Virginia to Pennsylvania and buried parts of it under as much as 62 inches of snow, per the National Centers for Environmental Information.

High winds with gusts of up to 160 mph knocked over trees and caused almost 1 million power outages.

It killed at least 383 people, caused hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of damage (in today's money), and became a weather prediction case study. Two cyclone researchers said it was the "benchmark" storm against which all other major 20th-century storms could be compared.

The six-day snowstorm on Mount Shasta in 1959
View of Mount Shasta, California, 1942.

Buyenlarge/Getty Images

Beginning on February 13, and going for six days, 189 inches (about 16 feet) of snow fell on Mount Shasta, California.

It holds the world record for the most snow falling in a single snowstorm, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Since it fell on an uninhabited mountain, no deaths occurred.

The Chicago Blizzard of 1967
View of a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) bus traveling its route during a winter blizzard in Chicago, IL, January 1967. Snow is piled high on the sidewalk.

Robert Abbott Sengstacke/Getty Images

On January 26 and 27, Chicago saw its highest snowfall on record, with 23 inches, along with 53 mph wind gusts.

The storm caught the city off guard, as it had experienced warm temperatures only two days earlier.

The sudden, heavy fall left 50,000 cars abandoned, shops looted, and 650 students sleeping at school because buses couldn't get through the snow. Twenty-six people died, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The 100-hour snowstorm of 1969
A crowd boards a bus in the snow on Summer Street in Boston on March 3, 1969, after the third major snow storm of the year. The four-day storm, between Feb. 24 and 28, left 26.3 inches of snow in the city.

Boston Globe/Boston Globe via Getty Images

From February 24 to February 27, snow fell in the northeast for 100 hours — or four days — straight, as reported by WBUR.

On the first day, 4 feet of snow fell on Mt. Washington, New Hampshire. Another 4 feet fell over the next few days. Boston was hit with 26.3 inches, and Portland, Maine, had 26.9.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration rated this the worst snowstorm of the century based on factors including the amount of snow, the area affected, and the number of people affected. But the most important factor was its size — the storm was 4.5 times larger than the 1993 "storm of the century."

However, it's a relatively unknown storm, since much of it was outside the northeast corridor.

The Blizzard of 1977
1/29/1977-Lafayette, IN- As far as the eye can see, abandoned vehicles line snowbound I-65 near Lafayette in Central Indiana. Hundreds of truckers and motorists hav taken refuge in nearby towns waiting a break in the bitter sub-zero cold to resume their travels.
1/29/1977-Lafayette, IN- As far as the eye can see, abandoned vehicles line snowbound I-65 near Lafayette in Central Indiana. Hundreds of truckers and motorists hav taken refuge in nearby towns waiting a break in the bitter sub-zero cold to resume their travels.

Bettmann / Getty

On January 28, a massive blizzard hit the US. Along with heavy snowfall, there were 70 mph winds.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the storm was "a so-called perfect storm, a once-in-a-generation weather system combining an unlikely compilation of high winds, avalanches of snow and frigid temperatures."

This storm was brutal in Buffalo, New York, because snow had fallen for 28 days before the storm, piling up on Lake Erie, perfectly placed to be blown about. The storm remained in the region for three days, per WGRZ.

So many people abandoned their cars that one in five vehicles was illegally parked or abandoned across Buffalo. The storm killed 29 people, and six of them died in their cars, The New York Times reported.

The Great Blizzard of 1978
A snow-covered car on a street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, during the 'Blizzard of '78', February 1978.

Barbara Alper/Getty Images

On January 26 and 27, Ohio and the Great Lakes faced one of the worst snowstorms of the century.

According to the National Weather Service, "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."

It was a "bomb cyclone," which means it developed very quickly. To get the name, atmospheric pressure has to fall by 24 millibars within 24 hours.

During this storm, wind chills plunged to -50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Even though only 7 inches of snow fell in Cincinnati, it was hit hard because there were already 14 inches on the ground, and 60 mph winds channeled it into snowdrifts that towered up to 25 feet high, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

Across the region, motorways closed, and roofs and telephone lines collapsed. The snowstorm killed 70 people and caused about $2 billion worth of damage.

The Megalopolitan Blizzard of 1983
Plainview, N.Y.: Debbie White of Plainview pushes a shopping cart of groceries toward her car in a shopping center on Woodbury Road and South Oyster Bay Road in Plainview, New York during a snowstorm on Feb. 11, 1983.

Newsday LLC/Newsday RM via Getty Images

From February 10 to 12, this snowstorm hit a wide area from Virginia to New England. In Washington, three airports, bus stations, and the subway system all had to close.

It was particularly memorable since, along with a heavy blanketing of snow, there was thunder, too.

The Washington Post reported that the "thundersnow along the Eastern Shore produced extremely strong winds and whiteout conditions."

It caused 25-foot waves in the Atlantic Ocean and 55 mph winds that capsized a coal-carrying boat, killing 34 people.

The Storm of the Century, 1993
Dan Littlefield of Campe Ellis attempts to clear snow from his car Sunday morning, March 14, 1993. "There was a car around here somewhere," he joked. The Portland Jetport received 17 inches of new snow during the previous day's blizzard.

David A. Rogers/Staff Photographer

Beginning on March 12, the US had what is commonly referred to as the worst snowstorm of the 20th century.

Snow covered areas from Florida to Maine, affecting more than 100 million people. Winds reached 100 mph.

The New York Times described it as "a monster with the heart of a blizzard and the soul of a hurricane."

Power cuts plunged 2.5 million homes into darkness and cold. The storm killed 300 people and caused at least $2 billion worth of damage.

NOAA classed it as a Category 5 storm. It was the second-highest rated snowstorm (despite its name) after the 100-hour snowstorm in 1969.

In Syracuse, New York, just under 43 inches of snow fell, while 20 inches fell through much of the northeast. It caused swells that a Coast Guard official told the Washington Post looked like "a big washing machine."

The Blizzard of 1996
A taxi in the snow in Manhattan, New York City, during the blizzard of January 1996.

Barbara Alper/Getty Images

From January 6 to 10, this vicious storm forced then-President Bill Clinton to shut down the government and declare nine states and DC as disaster areas.

Heavy snowfall blanketed much of the Eastern Seaboard. In one day, Virginia had 20 inches of snow, while Newark had 28 inches fall over several days, and Philadelphia had 30 inches.

The storm caught some people off guard, the Washington Post reported, since snow stopped long enough that some forecasters said it was over, only for 40 mph winds and more snow to return.

Buildings, including barns and a church in Harlem, New York, collapsed. Four people died from heart attacks while clearing snow, according to The New York Times. In total, 154 people died.

The Presidents Day Storm of 2003
Snow removal goes on along Eighth Ave. two days after the Presidents' Day blizzard covered the city with a heavy white blanket.

New York Daily News Archive/NY Daily News via Getty Images

For three days in February, including Presidents Day, a snowstorm caused delays and deaths across much of the Northeast.

It began as a rainstorm, before the wet weather met arctic cold air and turned to snow … a lot of snow. In Maryland, a state highway supervisor told Fox News, "It's no man's land out there. It looks more like Siberia than Maryland."

New York got 19.8 inches of snow, while a lucky ski resort in Pennsylvania got 40 inches of snow. In Boston, 27.5 inches of snow fell in 24 hours, which broke the city's record for snowfall in a single day, per the National Centers for Environmental Information.

The storm caused 28 deaths, and at least 2,000 flights were canceled.

The Blizzard of 2006
A man on skis make his way through Times Square in a heavy blizzard, in New York City.

Ramin Talaie/Corbis via Getty Images

On February 11 and 12, a massive snowstorm 1,200 miles long and 500 miles wide blanketed much of the country, from North Carolina to Maine, The New York Times reported.

Winds reached 60 mph, up to 27 inches of snow fell, and more than 220,000 homes lost power. The storm brought thunder and lightning, too, which is known as "thundersnow."

Hundreds of flights were canceled, and thousands were delayed.

Snowmageddon, 2010
Two men return to their home after buying shovels from a store in Silver Spring, Maryland, on February 6, 2010. A blizzard packing strong winds and heavy snowfall pounded the US capital and surrounding areas on February 6, killing at least two people and paralyzing parts of the region. The storm, dubbed "Snowpocalypse" and "Snowmageddon" by many locals, stretched from Indiana to Pennsylvania and into parts of New York and North Carolina, creating treacherous travel conditions, shutting Washington area airports and leading several states to declare emergencies.

JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images

On February 5 and 6, Washington, DC, turned white as snow fell uninterrupted for 30 hours, the Washington Post reported.

Just over 32 inches of wet, heavy snow were recorded. The snow's weight caused power outages for 200,000 properties, as well as the collapse of several churches and an airport hangar.

Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania all declared a state of emergency.

It was named "Snowmageddon" by a group called Capital Weather Gang, because Washington wasn't equipped to deal with so much snow. The name was solidified when former President Barack Obama repeated it.

The Christmas Blizzard of 2010
David Karnovsky, general counsel for the New York City Department of City Planning, cross country skis around an abandoned taxi on West 73rd Street on December 27, 2010 in New York City. A blizzard pounded the East Coast of the United States delivering 20 inches of snow to New York City while snarling post-Christmas travel.

Andrew Burton/Getty Images

On December 26 and 27, a blizzard blanketed New York City in up to 29 inches of snow, the New York Daily News reported at the time.

Winds reached 60 mph, causing whiteout conditions, while tens of thousands of people lost power.

Then-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters, "It's hard to stand up in a 55-mile-an-hour wind, and particularly when the ground under your feet is slippery, so this really is dangerous."

While it wasn't as savage as some of the other snowstorms on this list, it hit just after Christmas, causing travel chaos.

The "Snovember" Storm of 2014
A man uses ski poles to help him walk past a snowman in downtown Bangor Sunday, November 2, 2014, after an early season snowstorm slapped parts of Maine including Bangor with multiple inches of snow Sunday, November 2, 2014.

Gabe Souza/Staff Photographer

Beginning on November 17 and lasting 5 days, a snowstorm battered Buffalo, New York, burying it under more than 7 feet of snow, the Weather Channel reported.

Highways closed, 14 people died, and former President Barack Obama signed a disaster declaration to provide federal aid.

This snowstorm was particularly cruel to Buffalo because of Lake Erie. At the time, the water was still reasonably mild. This warm water met incoming arctic air, the coldest it had been for that time of the year since 1986, and the mixture caused an extreme amount of snow to fall.

It wasn't just Buffalo, though. Temperatures in every US state fell below freezing.

Winter Storm Jonas, 2016
New Yorkers brave the Brooklyn Bridge. The first snow falls throughout the early morning as New York prepares for historic East Coast Blizzard.
New Yorkers brave the Brooklyn Bridge. The first snow falls throughout the early morning as New York prepares for historic East Coast Blizzard.

Louise Wateridge/Pacific Press/LightRocket / Getty

This January winter storm, also known as Snowzilla, as reported by the Washington Post, affected over 102 million people and killed 52.

A massive amount of snow fell: 24 million people were estimated to have come in contact with over 20 inches. Glengary, West Virginia, had the most snowfall, with 42 inches.

In North Carolina, the storm's ice and wind knocked out the power at 150,000 homes. In Delaware, wind gusts were recorded at 75 mph. New Jersey faced intense flooding, with water surging higher than it did during Hurricane Sandy.

According to the NOAA, it was one of the most powerful snowstorms in the northeast in 60 years.

The Bomb Cyclone of 2018
A woman struggles with bags as she walks through the empty streets of Boston as the snow begins to fall from a massive winter storm on January 4, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts.
A woman struggles with bags as she walks through the empty streets of Boston as the snow begins to fall from a massive winter storm on January 4, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Spencer Platt/Getty

This was a rapidly developing storm in January that covered more than 2,500 miles across the US, affecting 60 million people, the BBC reported.

Along with heavy snowfall and 50 mph winds, the coast was rocked by swells, made even worse by unusually high tides. In Boston, a 3-foot storm surge smashed against the city.

The storm caused more than 1 million children to miss school, and 4,000 flights to be canceled, per The New York Times.

The Polar Vortex of 2019
Pedestrians walk through the falling snow in the Financial District, January 30, 2019 in New York City.
Pedestrians walk through the falling snow in the Financial District, January 30, 2019 in New York City.

Drew Angerer / Getty

In late January, cold air from the Arctic descended onto North America, killing 21 people. Almost 2,000 flights were canceled, hundreds of schools were closed, and hundreds of cases of frostbite and hypothermia were reported, per The Guardian.

Across the Midwest, more than 30 cold temperature records were broken. Illinois got hit particularly hard, with the city of Rockford recording -31 degrees Fahrenheit. Wind chills in Minneapolis-St. Paul plunged to -65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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