Worst US Blizzards in HistoryIt was supposed to be "Snowmageddon" - one of the worst blizzards to ever hit New Jersey. Turns out - thankfully - it wasn't what forecasters had feared. Public transit was back in action by mid morning allowing employees to get to their jobs. Officials had originally predicted the blizzard would bring 2 to 4 feet of snow - along with hurricane force winds - to a large region from Northern New Jersey down to Southern Maine. NJ Gov. Chris Christie lifted the statewide travel ban at 7:30 am on Tuesday.

So with forecasters getting this blizzard wrong, at least in New Jersey, here's a quick look at a few of the most devastating blizzards the U.S. has ever seen:

  • Snowmageddon 1: In February 2010, two blizzards broke snowfall records in the mid-Atlantic region including 32 inches of snow at Dulles International Airport in Washington. The second storm left 68% of the United States blanketed by snow.
  • Storm To End All Storms: This storm in March 1993 crushed the Eastern seaboard from Canada to Cuba with a combined blizzard and cyclone. Over a 3-day period it killed 310 people and caused $10 billion in damages. 15 homes on Long Island's Eastern Shore were destroyed. It could have been worse but officials predicted the storm two days in advance, sparing further loss of lives.
  • Christmas Blizzard 2010: From Dec. 26-27, some 7,000 flights were cancelled because of a blizzard that packed some thundersnow - when heavy snow is accompanied by thunder and lightning. Passengers using New York's subways were stranded for up to 9 hours while buses were ditched on the snow-piled streets.
  • The Monster Blizzard of 1888: This Nor'easter killed more than 400 people, including 200 in New York, which is the highest death toll in the United States from a winter storm. According to reports, more than 100 people died in the ocean after 200 ships sank of the East Coast. That powerful blizzard dumped between 40 and 50 inches of snow between March 11-12 that year, with reports of 50-ft high snow drifts.
  • Armistice Day 1940: Unusually mild weather on Nov. 11 quickly turned into one of the nastiest blizzards after temperatures dropped from the 60s on Nov. 11 to just single digits in 24 hours. Some 26 inches of snow fell in Minnesota as high winds of 50-80 mph, with heavy snows, pummeled the Midwest. That storm was responsible for killing 144 people.
Posted by Shawn Clayton on

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