In March 1888, one of the worst blizzards in the memory of man dealt adevastating blow to the Northeast. What made this storm quite unusual is thatmany areas had rain before any snow fell. A synoptic weather map of March 12thshows the storm centered south of New England with a cold front extending fromthe storm center due north through eastern Connecticut and Massachusetts. Westof that line, the storm was all snow; to the east, it was still raining.Hardest hit were New England and the eastern flank of New York. Snowfall wascrippling, reaching 50 inches in some locations. The storm generated winds tohurricane force that blew the snow into drifts that were two stories high.
Entire trains were stranded in some of these mountainous drifts.
The huge tally of snow fell as a vast amount of ocean moisture was catapultedwestward over much colder air that covered the interior. In addition, the stormmade a complete loop south of New England, giving it two whole days to wreakhavoc. Over the years that have passed, many storms have come and gone, butnone has achieved such long-lasting fame as the Great Blizzard of 1888.
There was another severe blizzard in 1888 which has gotten less recognition,probably because it hit the less populated Great Plains. The so-calledSchoolhouse Blizzard took the lives of over 200 people, many of whom wereschool children that got caught out in the elements.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist John Kocet.
