# Canonical recap data for Great Blizzard of 1888 (1888)
# Source: https://recap.at/1888/great-blizzard-1888
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: great-blizzard-1888
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1888/great-blizzard-1888"
title: Great Blizzard of 1888
subtitle: A massive northeaster paralyzed the U.S. Northeast, dumping over four feet of snow and killing hundreds, exposing urban infrastructure fragility.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1888-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1888
decade: 1880
country:
name: United States
slug: united-states
summaryShort: The Great Blizzard of 1888, also known as the Great Blizzard of '88 or the Great White Hurricane, was one of the most severe recorded blizzards and deadliest blizzard in American history. The storm paralyzed the East Coast from Chesapeake Bay to Maine, as well as the Atlantic provinces of Canada. Snow from 10 to 58 inc
summaryLong: The Great Blizzard of 1888, also known as the Great Blizzard of '88 or the Great White Hurricane, was one of the most severe recorded blizzards and deadliest blizzard in American history. The storm paralyzed the East Coast from Chesapeake Bay to Maine, as well as the Atlantic provinces of Canada. Snow from 10 to 58 inches fell in parts of New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, and sustained winds of more than 45 miles per hour produced snowdrifts in excess of 50 feet (15 m). Railroads were shut down and people were confined to their homes for up to a week. Railway and telegraph lines were disabled, and this provided the impetus to move these pieces of infrastructure underground. Emergency services were also affected during this blizzard.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Great_Blizzard_weather_map%2C_March_13%2C_1888.jpg/1280px-Great_Blizzard_weather_map%2C_March_13%2C_1888.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Great Blizzard of 1888"
importance: 73
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts: []
timeline: []
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Blizzard_of_1888"
  title: Great Blizzard of 1888
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
categories:
- disaster
metaDescription: The Great Blizzard of 1888, also known as the Great Blizzard of '88 or the Great White Hurricane, was one of the most severe recorded blizzards and deadliest bl
wikidataQid: Q170652
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260702200539/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Blizzard_of_1888"
  capturedAt: 2026-07-02
  label: Great Blizzard of 1888
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Blizzard_of_1888"
