Worst blizzards in American history

Eastern US has been hit by a massive blizzard in January of 2016 that left 15 people for dead and affected about 85 million. Going back to the 1800s, here are some of the most devastating snowstorms that paralysed the country.

Snowzilla of 2016

People walk past the statue of Pierre Charles L'Enfant during a winter storm in Washington January 23, 2016. (Reuters photo)
In January of 2016, the eastern US was hit by a massive blizzard which brought New York and Washington to a standstill, that left 15 people for dead and affected about 85 million residents.
Dubbed "Snowzilla" - the snowstorm dumped 22.2 inches (56 centimetres) in Washington and 25.1 inches in New York's Central Park, the third highest accumulation since records began in 1869.
More than 200,000 people were left without power and 2,200 National Guard personnel were drafted in. Over 4,400 flights were cancelled, airports in New York, Philadelphia, Washington and Baltimore ground to a halt, and the US capital shut down transport.

2010

Known as "Snowmageddon", February 5-6, 2010, saw almost 20 inches of snow piled up in Washington DC as a blizzard pounded Mid-Atlantic States. Planes were grounded, trains stood still and buses weren't rolling, travellers leaving stranded.
The National Weather Service called the storm "historic" and reported a foot (30 centimetres) of snow in parts of Ohio and 2 feet (60 centimetres) or more in Washington, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Parts of Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia got closer to 3 feet (90 centimetres).

2006

The blizzard of February 2006 surprised many residents as it was recorded the warmest January just recently. Airports were shut and thousands of flights from Washington to Boston were grounded. About 25.8 inches of wind whipped snow caused whiteouts made it impossible to walk, let alone drive.

2003

The infamous President's Day blizzard of 2003 lasted from February 14 to February 19 and shut down cities from Washington DC to Boston causing $20 million in damage. Cities were blanketed with 15 to 30 inches of snow. 

1996

Possibly the deepest snowfall paralysing the US East Coast was recorded close to 40 inches (102 cm) in Glengary, West Virginia, the National Weather Service said.
On January 7-8, 1996 about 28.3 inches (72 cm) had fallen at Dulles International Airport, 26 miles (42 km) west of Washington.

20 years ago today #Blizzardof96 pic.twitter.com/Xap1yfKaVV
- Lee Goldberg (@LeeGoldbergABC7) January 7, 2016

1888

(AP photo)
The Great Blizzard on March 12-14, 1888 paralysed New York City March with about 40 inches of snow and winds that reached up to 60 miles per hour.
Dubbed "Great White Hurricane" the blizzard piled on inches of snow in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The heavy snow led to a complete whiteout and more than $20 million in property damage and killed over 400 people.

Image via The Sun, March 13 1888
The New York Herald of March 14, 1888 told a story of disaster: "The Buried City; a Night of Devastation, How the Tempest Howled and Raged through the Dark Wilderness of Streets; Perishing Men and Women.''
kymberlee@khaleejtimes.com (With inputs from AP, AFP, Reuters and NWS)