The Blizzard of ’93: How the Storm of the Century Shut Down the East Coast
On March 12, 1993, North America's East Coast was rocked by a blizzard many have called the "Storm of the Century." We take a look back.
Quick Reference
- Storm name: The Blizzard of ’93, also known as the Superstorm and the Storm of the Century.
- Dates: Formed March 12, 1993 over the Gulf of Mexico. Three days of impact through March 14.
- Reach: 26 US states from Florida to Maine, west to the Dakotas, and most of Canada.
- Wind: Hurricane-force gusts up to 110 mph.
- Snowfall: Up to 69 inches in parts of the Appalachians, with 35-foot drifts. 4 inches in Florida. 16 inches in Alabama.
- Temperature: 0 F across parts of the South. -12 F farther north.
- Toll: 310 lives lost. Nearly $7 billion in damage.
- Best companion read: Almanac historic blizzard archive and thundersnow explainer.
In March of 1993, President Bill Clinton had just been inaugurated to his first term of office, rapper Snow’s reggae-inspired song Informer was at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, and the eastern half of the United States and Canada was in the grip of “the Storm of the Century,” one of the worst winter storms of the 20th Century.
Storm of the Century
The Blizzard of ’93, also known as the “Superstorm” and the “Storm of the Century” (although other storms also lay claim to the latter title), formed over the Gulf of Mexico on March 12 and pounded the East Coast, from Florida to Canada and as far west as the Dakotas, for the next three days, bringing hurricane-force winds of up to 110 miles per hour and dropping as much as 69 inches of snow in some areas. Even Florida, which rarely sees even a dusting of snow, received four inches during the storm, while parts of Alabama reported as much as 16 inches.
Computer models had predicted the storm a few weeks before it hit, but the amount of precipitation forecast was so extreme that many meteorologists refused to believe the models could be accurate until they were proven to be true. The National Weather Service Superstorm summary walks through the model runs and the verification.
Lots and Lots of Snow
In the days leading up to the storm, temperatures across North America dropped as an arctic high-pressure front moved down over the Great Lakes. At the same time, an area of low pressure moved up along the Eastern seaboard from the Gulf of Mexico, colliding with the cold front over the East Coast and Midwest.
The resultant storm covered 26 states and most of Canada, bringing thundersnow and whiteout conditions. Hundreds of airports closed, and highway travel was restricted throughout the region, stranding countless travelers. Parts of the Appalachian Mountain region saw more than three and a half feet of snow, with 35-foot drifts in some areas. Farther north, New England and Eastern Canada got anywhere from 15 inches to two feet of snow. Throughout the path of the storm, trees were uprooted from the weight of snow.
Though southern states saw less snow than their northern neighbors, these areas were hit hardest by damage because they do not have the infrastructure to deal with heavy snow. Southern cities were shut down for days, as residents waited out the clean-up efforts, and many buildings collapsed under the weight of the snow. Southerners were unprepared to deal with extremely cold temperatures, as low as 0 F in some parts of the South. Other areas saw temperatures as low as -12 F.
The Storm Aftermath
In all, the storm caused nearly $7 billion in damage and claimed 310 lives, earning its title as a “Storm of the Century.”
Storm Footprint by Region
| Region | Snowfall | Notable damage |
|---|---|---|
| Florida + Gulf Coast | Up to 4 inches Florida | Tornadoes spawned ahead of the line |
| Alabama + Deep South | Up to 16 inches | Buildings collapsed under wet snow |
| Appalachian Mountains | Up to 69 inches with 35-foot drifts | Trees down, highways closed for a week |
| Mid-Atlantic | 13 to 36 inches | Airports closed for days |
| Northeast + New England | 15 inches to 2 feet | Power outages, transit shutdown |
| Eastern Canada | 15 inches to 2 feet | Whiteouts across Ontario and Quebec |
| Dakotas + Upper Midwest | Variable, ground blizzard wind | Cattle losses on the open range |
Why the Storm Was Different
- Tornadoes ahead of the line. Dozens of tornadoes spun up across the Deep South before the cold air arrived. Rare in a winter storm, common only in this hybrid pattern.
- Snow in places that never see snow. Florida, southern Alabama, and central Georgia all measured snowfall, with Florida picking up 4 inches.
- Continental reach. 26 states from the Gulf to the Great Lakes, plus most of Canada. Almost no other single storm has covered that footprint.
- Hurricane-force winds. Gusts to 110 mph were measured at high-elevation reporting stations.
- Forecast verification. The forecast was right days in advance. Many meteorologists doubted their own models because the predicted totals seemed impossibly large.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the Blizzard of ’93?
The storm formed over the Gulf of Mexico on March 12, 1993 and pounded the East Coast for three days through March 14. Peak impact was on March 13.
Why is it called the Storm of the Century?
The storm covered 26 states and most of Canada, killed 310 people, caused $7 billion in damage, and reached almost the entire eastern half of North America at once. The National Weather Service used the phrase, and it stuck.
How much snow fell in 1993?
Up to 69 inches in parts of the Appalachians, with 35-foot drifts. 16 inches in Alabama. 4 inches in Florida. New England and Eastern Canada saw 15 inches to 2 feet.
Why did the South get hit so hard?
Southern cities lacked the snow-removal infrastructure of northern cities. Buildings collapsed under wet snow they were not built for. Roads stayed closed for days. Temperatures fell to 0 F in places that rarely break freezing.
Did the forecast work?
Yes, but barely. Computer models flagged the storm a few weeks ahead. The predicted totals were so extreme that many meteorologists doubted the output until verification confirmed it. The 1993 storm became a textbook case for trusting numerical weather prediction.
What is thundersnow?
Thundersnow is a winter storm strong enough to produce thunder and lightning. The 1993 storm produced thundersnow across much of its footprint. See our thundersnow explainer for the meteorology.
Could a storm like this happen again?
Yes. The 1993 setup, a deep Gulf low colliding with arctic air, recurs every few years on a smaller scale. A storm with the same continental reach is rare but not impossible. Long-range forecasting and warning lead time have improved sharply since 1993.
Tell Us
Do you remember the Blizzard of ’93? Share your memories below. Where you were, how much fell, and how long it took to dig out.
Jaime McLeod
Jaime McLeod is a longtime journalist who has written for a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, and websites, including MTV.com. She enjoys the outdoors, growing and eating organic food, and is interested in all aspects of natural wellness.
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It was my 10th birthday. I live in Cartersville Georgia and we had 17 inches of snow.
Married on the 12th in Dallas when on leave from Navy. Headed out on 13th to report to Norfolk,VA. We spent two days stuck on I20 with all the power company trucks trying to get to Alabama. Our first daughter was born 9 months later!
This is a great story! Thank you for sharing and thank you for your service!
I remember the Snow storm of 93, specifically because my son had just turned 1. You showed on your map where it was but you missed Western Kentucky. We got several inches and it closed our little town down for a few days.
Hi Patti,
Thanks for your comment! It’s hard sometimes to find the picture-perfect picture for our stories! What a way to celebrate your son’s first birthday! Thanks for reading and commenting.
Blizzard of 93 — I was born and raised in Connecticut so Winter snow was no big deal for us Hatters. However, the blizzard of 93 was so bad. I spent the Christmas/New Year holidays in Florida. I was stranded for three extra days waiting for the CT/New York region to clear up and resume flights. Don’t feel envy; Florida was unusally cold and I was not prepared.
my husbands band was playing in McDonough ga and on the first night there was no bad weather but they decided to stay and the next night they stayed in griffin ga and when they got up it was a blizzard and a tree fell on a car and they couldn’t get out plus the well ran on electricity and they had to melt snow for drinking water which had everyone came home when they were supposed to this would not have been a probable I had heat electricity food and booze they didn’t get home til Monday afternoon
I had just moved to SW part of VA in Sept, from S. FL (Homestead),after going through Hurricane Andrew, losing everything, i was scared because they said “high winds” with this Blizzard, but when it was over, I was like, that was it, worried over nothing. It was my kids (5 &7) first time seeing snow. Boy did they get to see a lot of snow. Drifts on the roads that were passable, were 10-20 feet.
So yes, I remember very well!!!!
I’m from a little town called Homosassa Florida I was just a kid when it hit us and it was at night the wind was just so scary we could hear that freight train sounds of tornado I remember me and my 3 brothers in the bathroom when we woke up and it was daytime and that’s when the water came my father was outside checking out everything when he heard the sound of trees snapping coming from down the street and saw it a 4 foot tidal surge heading toward us he came running back inside and we watched it almost come in to the house and at the time we lived and a house on stilts just a little higher than 4 feet above the ground and it came almost up to the door of the house
Michael, that must have been terrifying! Especially for a little kid. Glad you all made it safely through.
I live in Columbia, SC. One of my sons was born during the Blizzard of ’93, March 13th to be exact. When I got to the hospital around 1pm, there was only two or three other women in the maternity ward. At 9pm, the maternity ward was full of women in labor! The nurse told me that the extreme drop in the barometric pressure brought on many women’s labor!
We weathered the storm at my mom and dads. They had a coal stove and plenty of home canned food. They had a building about 200 yards behind their house, where they did crafts. Me and my sister couldn’t find my 2 year old. We looked everywhere we could think. Mom called from the building and ask if I was missing something. He had gotten out of the house in a cloth diaper and rubber pants and made his way to them. She said she looked out and all she could see was the crown if his head bobbing through the snow.
I was 7 months pregnant with my first baby my husband said they werent predicting snow n I was being crazy for buying soup and a manual can opener we were snowed in for a little over a week n my crazy kept us fed 😉
Wow, great story. Thanks for sharing.