Great Blizzard of 1888

Great Blizzard of 1888
Surface analysis of Blizzard on March 12, 1888 at 10 p.m.
TypeExtratropical cyclone
Blizzard
Lowest pressure980 hPa (29 inHg)
Maximum snowfall
or ice accretion
58 inches (147 cm)
Fatalities400 fatalities
Damage$25 million in 1888 (equivalent to $850 million in 2024)
Areas affectedEastern United States, Eastern Canada

The Great Blizzard of 1888, also known as the Great Blizzard of '88 or the Great White Hurricane (March 11–14, 1888), was one of the most severe recorded blizzards in American history. The storm paralyzed the East Coast from the Chesapeake Bay to Maine,[1][2] as well as the Atlantic provinces of Canada.[3] Snow fell from 10 to 58 inches (25 to 147 cm) in parts of New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, and sustained winds of more than 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) produced snowdrifts in excess of 50 feet (15 m). Railroads were shut down and people were confined to their homes for up to a week.[3] Railway and telegraph lines were disabled, and this provided the impetus to move these pieces of infrastructure underground. Emergency services were also affected during this blizzard.

  1. ^ "The Blizzard of 1888; the Impact of this Devastating Storm on New York Transit".
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference noaa was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Douglas, Paul (2004). Restless Skies. Barnes & Noble Publishing, Inc. pp. 12–13. ISBN 978-0-7607-6113-7.