Blizzard of ’93

The Blizzard of 1993, famously known as the “Storm of the Century,” was a massive extratropical cyclone that paralyzed the Eastern United States between March 12 and 14. This “superstorm” was unprecedented in its scope, stretching from Central America into Canada and impacting roughly 40% of the U.S. population. It was unique for its sheer variety of extreme weather: while it produced a deadly tornado outbreak and a 12-foot storm surge in Florida, it simultaneously dropped enough snow to create a “whiteout” in every single state east of the Mississippi River. In a rare atmospheric display, the storm was so intense that it generated thundersnow—vivid lightning and thunder occurring inside a heavy snowstorm—across the Northeast, while mountain regions like the Appalachians saw incredible snowdrifts as high as 35 feet.
The storm caused over $5.5 billion in damages and claimed more than 270 lives, but it is also remembered as a landmark moment for modern meteorology. It holds the record for the first time the National Weather Service accurately predicted a storm’s severity a full five days in advance, a feat that allowed governors to declare states of emergency before the first flake fell. Despite these warnings, the storm’s hurricane-force winds and massive snowfall shut down every major airport from D.C. to Boston. The sheer volume of precipitation was staggering; it is estimated that 13 trillion gallons of water fell across the Eastern U.S. in the form of snow, enough to fill the Rose Bowl 130,000 times over, cementing its legacy as the most intense winter event of the 20th century.