10 Historic Blizzards That Shut Down Entire States
From blinding snowstorms to bone-chilling temperatures, these 10 historic blizzards unleashed chaos, shutting down entire states and leaving a lasting imprint on America's approach to winter weather disasters.
- Alyana Aguja
- 4 min read
Over the years, intense blizzards have caused devastation throughout the United States, frequently closing down entire states and leaving devastation in their trail. These blizzards, from the Great Blizzard of 1888 to the Texas Snowstorm of 2021, not only resulted in loss of life but also revealed glaring shortcomings in infrastructure and emergency response. Through the study of such extreme weather occurrences, we can gain a greater appreciation for how nature’s forces mold our world and how improvements in weather forecasting and disaster readiness they bring about.
1. The Great Blizzard of 1888 (Northeastern U.S.)
Image from Britannica
Among the most fatal and debilitating blizzards in American history, this storm buried New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts under 40–50 inches of snow. Winds exceeding 45 mph piled up the snow into gigantic drifts up to second-story windows, isolating individuals for days. The disruption prompted the construction of New York City’s underground subway system to prevent such catastrophes from debilitating transportation once more.
2. The Schoolhouse Blizzard (1888, Great Plains)
Image from InForum
Only two months before the Great Blizzard, this unexpected storm hit the Midwest, lowering temperatures by more than 50°F in just a few hours. Unfortunately, numerous schoolchildren and teachers were outside as they attempted to return home, resulting in more than 200 fatalities. The speed at which the storm hit and took lives altered how weather warnings were delivered in rural America.
3. The Knickerbocker Storm (1922, Washington, D.C.)
Image from National Endowment for the Humanities
Named for the Knickerbocker Theatre in D.C., which buckled under the snow’s weight, this storm dumped almost 30 inches on the capital. The tragedy killed almost 100 individuals, including those who were stuck inside the theater during a silent film showing. It is still the worst snowstorm in D.C. history, demonstrating how structural collapses can make a blizzard an even worse disaster.
4. The Armistice Day Blizzard (1940, Midwest)
Image from Pioneer Press
What began as a balmy pre-holiday warm spell in mid-November was transformed into a deadly nightmare by a storm system that swept the Midwest, depositing feet of snow on Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Scores of duck hunters, unsuspectingly marooned in the Mississippi River, froze to death or were drowned. This disaster resulted in great leaps in weather forecasting progress and emergency preparation.
5. The Blizzard of 1967 (Midwest, particularly Illinois & Indiana)
Image from Chicago History Museum
Chicago and much of the Midwest were paralyzed after a record-breaking 23 inches of snow fell in a single storm, stranding thousands of people in their homes, cars, and workplaces. Entire neighborhoods were buried, and public transit shut down for days, forcing people to travel by snowmobiles and even skis. The storm exposed flaws in the city’s emergency response and led to major changes in winter storm planning.
6. The Great Blizzard of 1978 (Ohio Valley & Northeast)
Image from Spectrum News
The devastating storm-packed hurricane-force gusts and more than 40 inches of snow, essentially grounding states such as Ohio, Indiana, and Rhode Island. Thousands of vehicles were left stranded on roads, and National Guard soldiers used helicopters to evacuate trapped residents. The sheer intensity of the blizzard rendered it one of the most notorious winter storms in American history.
7. The Storm of the Century (1993, Eastern U.S.)
Image from The Washington Post
Spreading across 26 states from Florida to Maine, this colossal cyclone was not merely a blizzard but a superstorm that contained hurricane-force winds and buried cities in record snow. Cities were snowed under, planes were grounded, and more than 300 lives were lost. This was one of the first storms to be properly predicted days ahead, illustrating the increasing might of meteorology.
8. The 1996 North American Blizzard (Mid-Atlantic & Northeast)
Image from Wikipedia
The blizzard deposited more than 30 inches of snow throughout Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, and New York, crippling those states to a halt. Roofs collapsed from the weight of snow, and whole highways became parking lots. It resulted in several state-wide shutdowns and billions worth of damages, showing that even urbanized cities were not spared from the wrath of nature.
9. The Chicago Blizzard of 2011 (Illinois & Midwest)
Image from National Weather Service
With “Snowmageddon” amounts of snowfall (21 inches in Chicago alone), the storm closed highways, airports, and even the city’s renowned public transportation. Lake Shore Drive was an apocalyptic landscape of hundreds of abandoned, snow-caked cars. This blizzard reiterated how even modern infrastructure can buckle under intense winter weather.
10. The Texas Snowstorm of 2021 (Texas & Southern U.S.)
Image from Los Angeles Times
Though Texas is not particularly famous for blizzards, a record-breaking winter storm paralyzed the whole state with record-low temperatures and massive power outages. Millions lost heat, water, and food as the state’s energy grid collapsed under the cold weather. The tragedy shed light on the weaknesses of southern states in coping with extreme winter weather and fuelled discussions about energy infrastructure resilience.