Dangers of Blizzards:

Whiteout: A condition when falling and/or blowing snow limits visibility to very short distances. Whiteout can be very dangerous for motorists caught in the storm. Visibility can be reduced to zero when the snow and winds combine. A ground blizzard can occur when blowing snow left behind from past storms is blown around by strong winds. The visibility during blizzard conditions tend to be worse in the country than in the city because of lack of buildings to break the flow of the wind. During early January 1997 widespread blizzard conditions occurred across the northern plains as a result of a blast of arctic air from Canada.

Photo courtesy of CNN.

Cold temperatures and wind chills associated with a blizzard: Blizzard conditions: Are generally assumed to be a storm with winds of at least 35 mph, a temperature of 20 degrees F or colder is considered a blizzard. Severe blizzards have 45 mph or stronger winds, substantial blowing snow and temperatures of 10 degrees F or colder.

Wind Chill:is the combination of the effects of wind and cold air on heat loss from the body, especially exposed areas. As the wind increases, heat is carried away quicker decreasing the body temperature. Animals also suffer when the wind chill is bitter cold. People and other animals do not tend to survive well for long periods of time outside in a blizzard. Two life-threatening conditions can result. Here is what the wind can feel like with bitter cold temperatures.

FROSTBITE: Caused by prolonged exposure of the body, frostbite damages the tissue of the extremities, i.e. fingers, toes, ear lobes, and noses. Two warning signs of frostbite are a loss of feeling in the extremities, or a white or pale appearance. Frostbite is a potentially serious condition, and can lead to the life-threatening condition of hypothermia. To treat frostbite slowly rewarm the areas affected. Frostbite can occur quickly especially in very cold air and strong winds.

HYPOTHERMIA: A life threatening condition in which uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, slurred speech, drowsiness, and exhaustion can occur. Hypothermia becomes life threatening when the body temperature falls below 95 degrees F (35 degrees C). The body core needs to be warmed first, also dry clothing and wrap the person in a blanket. DO NOTgive alcohol, drugs or coffee, warm broth is suggested. Heart failure can result from warming the extremities first, as the cold blood, (less than 95 degrees F) is driven back toward the heart.

The Blizzard of 1888:

March 11, 1888: 

 The Blizzard of 1888 struck the east coast of the United States and hit the northeast particular hard. The residents of the area had no warning that a storm this size was headed their way. The storm struck on Sunday, March 11, 1888 as a nor'easter. In New York City the storm dumped 21 inches of snow. The blizzard conditions were caused by the 70 mph winds that piled up 20 foot drifts, causing elevated trains and carriages to be stuck. Many people were stranded in office buildings for the duration of the storm. The storm was felt from Washington D.C. to New York and Pittsburgh. The storm pounded the region for a day and a half. A total of 200 ships from Chesapeake Bay to Nantucket where either sunk or heavily damaged. The death toll for the storm was four hundred, and twenty million dollars of damages were incured. Site on the blizzard of 1888: New York City's web site for the blizzard of 1888. 

The Blizzard of 1978:

February 6 and 7, 1978. 

the above banner and the pictures of the blizzard of 1978 below are all from mindspring.com

The southern coast of New England was hit hard by the blizzard of 1978, especially Rhode Island. The states of Rhode Island and Massachuestts were hit the hardest. In parts of Rhode Island up to 3 to 4 feet of snow fell and high drifts were created by 60 mph winds. The main threat to people in this storm was to those who were stranded in cars along the interstate highways in the area. The interstate was finally cleared of cars by the February 11, the following Saturday morning. Air traffic was halted for about a week out of Rhode Island. Compared to the 400 that died in the blizzard of 1888, only 17 people died from the storm due to the help of the weather service. However, thousands of people were rescued from their stuck vehicles. 

Here is what the interstate system in Rhode Island looked Front page new in Rhode Island. like from the air, after the blizzard of 1978.  

How do you get around after a blizzard? Skiing, walking or staying put.    

Superstorm 1993:

March 12-14, 1993.

This storm hit the entire east coast hard from Alabama to New England with snow. After it was finished 270 people had died and three to six billion dollars of damage had been done. At one point during the storm 25% of the national airports were shut down. Millions of people were without power. Again, many people were stranded from home on the roads and outside. Here is a color enhanced satellite image of the storm. Places like Atlanta received a foot or more of snow, with amounts of from 40 to 50 inches occurred from North Carolina at Mount Mitchell with 50 inches to 43 inches at Syracuse, New York. The heavy weight of the snow caused roofs to collapse in North Carolina. Snow removal in the big cities ran into the millions of dollars. Some of the deaths were attributed to people overexerting themselves with shoveling snow. The storm had high winds and record low pressures along its track.

A great site on the superstorm of 1993.

Photo courtesy of covis.atmos.uiuc.edu

Blizzard of 1996:

January 6-7, 1996.

The storm hit the northeast corridor hard. New York City reported 31 inches of snow and Philadelphia, 24 inches. The storm caused approximately $3 billion in damages and cost 187 lives. This storm was a smaller, less intense cousin of the superstorm of 1993.

Satellite image and snowfall map courtesy of pw1.netcom.

Blizzard of 1997: Central Plains

October 25-26, 1997.

The media called this a blizzard, but it was not in the true sense of the word. A blizzard calls for winds greater than 35 mph and temperatures colder than 20 degrees. This was more of a snowstorm for the Lincoln area. The heavy weight of the snow downed many tree limbs and power lines. The power outages were extensive, in some cases taking up to a week to repair for all customers. A good article about the storm. Being a college student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln at that time, I recall, the storm quite well. About 10:00 p.m that Saturday evening the heavy rain turned to snow, at about 10:30 the snow was coming down with thunder and lightning. By about 11:00 that night the storm was starting to take down the still leafy tree branches and power went out on campus. Trees continued to lose limbs and power lines fell throughout the night due to the wet, heavy, snow. In the morning the campus looked like a war zone. Trees and power lines were down in many places. Hardly any trees escaped the wrath of the storm without at least one major limb broken. Lincoln, received approximately 13 inches of wet snow from the storm.  

An incredible picture of the snowstorm of 1997 in Lincoln, NE from zephyr.unl.edu

Back to the main page