Buried in the Boroughs: NYC’s Worst Snowstorms of All Time

Don’t be fooled into thinking that we are nearing the end of winter as February creeps to a close. There is still plenty of time for winter to wreak havoc on my cute boots and the rusty MTA. These last few weeks of below freezing temperatures have reminded me how much NYC is not a winter wonderland. Sure, the freshly fallen snow, draped across 5th Avenue and Central Park looks nice. FOR FIVE MINUTES! If you don’t enjoy the snow in those precious early moments, or luck on an a nighttime stroll, you are out of luck. It doesn’t take long for the white blanket to turn into a massive who-knows-what-color grey sludge. Don’t even get me started on the disgustingly deep pits of water at every crosswalk and massive frozen snow piles that require the might of climbing Mount Everest to transverse.

So, no. Snow in NYC is not ideal.

Yet, my distain does little to prevent the inevitable. NYC can be a snowy place. And while this year has had some snow, we should be grateful it’s not one of the massive blizzards that have hit the city. Let’s take a stroll through the not so winter wonderlands of yonder years and see just what winter brings.

1. January 23-24, 2016

Ah Snowzilla, what a lovely memory. Clocking in at 27.5 inches, or just over two feet of snow Winter Storm Jonas is officially holds the title for larges snowfall on record in the city. It was a doozy, and not just for NYC. Along the East Coast, over 11 governors, and Washington D.C. issued states of emergencies, including restricted travel to NYC and NJ and even restricted travel to NYC and NJ because of this beast. In preparation for the storm the city deployed over 1,700 plows and used over 50,000 tons of road salt. Despite the effors the city was hit hard, shutting down MTA buses and subways.

ABC7NY

2. February 12, 2006

The great North American Blizzard of 2006 hit most of East Coast cities from Boston to Baltimore with NYC taking the brunt. This whopper of a snowstorm dropped 26.9 inches on the city—then the highest on government record, beating out the 1947 storm. Although called a Blizzard, it didn’t technically qualify as one because it was not accompanied by below freezing temps and severe wind. But I cry semantics! Although flights and trains were canceled and roads were covered, the city was well equipped to manage the story. Over five thousand workers from the department of sanitation spread about 200,000 tons of salt in the streets while New Yorks embraced the circumstances to play in the snow.

NY Daily News

3. December 26, 1947

The Boxing Day storm of 1947 was no White Christmas. Settling into the post-holiday calm, the storm took many by surprise. The storm dumped 26.4 inches of snow over 24 four hours at a rate of 3 inches per hour. Though a moister, yet less cold storm then the deadliest blizzard in 1888, this storm still devastated the city and travel, leaving people stranded for days. At least 77 died due to lack of food supplies or coal for heat. This storm measured at 26.4 inches of snowfall.

Life Magazine

4. March 11-14, 1888

March! This is why we don’t trust the weather people! The Great White Hurricane or the Storm of the Century hit the East Coast from The Chesapeake Bay to Maine. 45 miles an hour gusts of sustained wind and 50-foot snow drifts forced people to stay home, shutting down the rails and travel. Although some parts of the country saw over 60 inches of snow, luckily NYC only got 21, which is more than enough to do some damage. This particular storm is NYC’s most deadly. Since the storm was sudden, and snow removal was manual, many people were trapped in their homes without food. The reported death toll was officially 200 and property damage from fires and floods was over $25 million. One good thing to come from this storm, was Manhattan buried most of their utility lines.

5. February 25, 2010

Snowmaggedon was the big storm of 2010 and hit the Washington-Maryland-Virginia area hard. At first NYC just got a small sprinkling, but that quickly changed. A nor’easter Snowicane walloped into NYC on February 25 th releasing its fully fury and 20.9 inches of snow. This was only month after, on December 26 th , another nor’easter had ravaged the city also dumping 20 inches of snow.

ABC7NY

6. January 7-8, 1996

This snowstorm was one to remember. It hit most the East Coast, leaving behind over 30 inches in most regions. Lasting over 36 hours, and at a rate of two inches per hour NYC was buried in 20.2 inches. The entire city shut down and many were stranded on the roads, in airports and at train stations as transformation became impossible.

NY Daily News

All in all, winter is hit and miss in NYC. It might be a rainy, muddy and warm winter where the worst is some freezing rain. Or, the city could become buried in over two feet of snow, sometimes repeatedly over the course of winter. Either way, you haven’t lived through a winter until you’ve done it in the Big Apple, hailing a cab or sludging your way to the subway. And honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.