On March 1, 1888, a buyer at the New York City department store Edward Ridley & Sons made a mistake. The buyer, John J. Meisinger, purchased a carload of unclaimed wooden snow shovels (3,000 pieces) for $1,200 to sell at his store. It was a “ridiculously low price,” Meisinger later wrote, and the timing was odd. “Many of my buyers laughed at the idea of me buying a snow shovel at the end of the season,” he said.
A few days later, a snowstorm of epic proportions descended on the eastern part of the country. “The worst storm this city has ever known. Business and travel come to a complete standstill,” read a March 13 New York Times headline. Snowdrifts across the region reached up to 15 feet in height in some places.
In all, the Great Blizzard of 1888 killed nearly 400 people, including 200 in New York City. Communications, commerce, and travel were disrupted for several days.
But the story had a good ending for Meisinger, who made a profit shoveling snow in late winter. “Ridley's was the only store that had a large inventory of snow shovels and sold them all on the first day,” he wrote. “It made his other peers laugh,” he added.
Blizzard. Snowstorm. Nor'easter. What's the difference?
The storm of 1888 was definitely a blizzard. But what about others? For the National Weather Service to use the term “blizzard,” several criteria must be met, said Eric Guillot, the agency's winter program coordinator.
This term applies only when snow is blowing or falling for at least three consecutive hours, wind speeds are at least 35 miles per hour, and visibility is less than one-quarter of a mile.
True snowstorms are “a bit rare,” Guyot said.
David Phillips, senior climate scientist at the Canadian Institute of Environment and Climate Change, said snowstorms are defined using slightly different standards in Canada. Below the tree line, where the tundra meets the forest, visibility and wind speed standards are about the same as in the United States, but conditions need to last four hours straight for a snowstorm to occur there. In places like Nunavut, Iqaluit, Yellowknife and Whitehorse that are above the tree line, “four hours is definitely not possible, but six hours or more would qualify,” Phillips said.
Phillips emphasized that snow doesn't necessarily have to be falling from the sky for a snowstorm to occur. Snow from previous storms can be carried by the wind and form a type of snowstorm called a “ground blizzard,” he said.
A nor'easter is a storm system that forms along the east coast of the country and has winds blowing from the northeast. Phillips said the Tohoku region has a humid climate, so dry snow that reduces visibility is less likely to occur, but blizzard conditions are possible at times. For example, the Great Blizzard of 1888 began as a nor'easter.
How do snowstorms occur?
According to the National Weather Service, blizzards can occur in the Northeast, but in the U.S., blizzards are most common in the upper Midwest and Great Plains.
Phillips said snowstorms could occur in these areas due to a weather phenomenon known as the “Colorado Lowlands,” or further north, the “Alberta Clippers.” Such storm systems originate east of the Rocky Mountains and move very quickly toward the Plains and Midwest, like clipper ships, he said.
Phillips said storms typically produce “large amounts of light, fluffy, dry snow that can accumulate on the ground,” reducing visibility. Collision with gusts of arctic air could create blizzards that could blow heavily over the region's flat terrain, he said.
What is the origin of the word “blizzard”?
It depends on who you ask. A week after the March 1888 snowstorm, the Times was already writing an article about the word's origins. One article states, “Blizzards were first used by people who first experienced them when they settled on the Western Plains.” He added: “Until we lose our own or even greater authority, the American theory of calling American storms will remain in place.”
Phillips said some people believe the term was borrowed from military terminology. “The interpretation that I thought was kind of neat is that it was actually used in the United States in the 1800s,” he says. “And it referred to heavy blows, like cannon fire or musket volleys.”
The word “blizzard” could also be a combination of “blister, blaster, and blitz,” a lexicographer told The Times in 2023.
How can I stay safe during a snowstorm?
Although much has changed since 1888, snowstorms can still be deadly.
For example, in December 2022, a blizzard occurred in Buffalo, killing 31 people. A team of researchers from New York University then found that emergency warnings from city officials were not adequately communicating how life-threatening the storms were.
Guillot, of the weather service, said the best way to stay safe during a snowstorm is to stay indoors. Households should be prepared to hunker down if necessary and have clothes, blankets, enough food and water for three days (along with a can opener), first aid supplies, batteries, flashlights, cell phone chargers, and medicines. You should have an emergency kit prepared. he added.
“Having a NOAA weather radio to stay informed” is also helpful, especially if cell phone service degrades, he said.
If you're at home during a snowstorm and the power goes out or the heat doesn't work, Guillot says close all blinds, curtains, and interior doors to stay warm. And don't forget to eat and drink. “I feel like that's something people don't do, but drinking alcohol provides energy and actually warms your body during digestion,” he said.
If you're stuck in your car during a storm, Phillips says, “don't ever go outside because you'll quickly become disoriented.” Turn on your car's dome light to show other drivers and rescuers that you are in the car. If your car is stuck in a snowdrift, hang a flag or other bright material outside to mark your location, he said.
Trapped drivers should also be aware of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning from a clogged tailpipe, Phillips said. “Avoid running the engine for more than 10 minutes at a time, and keep the windows slightly open,” he says.
Above all, Phillips said to pay close attention to warnings from meteorologists. “You can get weather forecasts on the internet, on your cell phone, on the radio, in newspapers and on TV,” he said. “As long as they pay attention, the warnings are available.”
Kirsten Noyes and Jeff Ross contributed to research.