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9 gnarly winter storms that hit the U.S.

Posted at 10:36 AM, Jan 26, 2015
and last updated 2015-01-27 10:59:29-05

Snow is slamming the Northeastern U.S. today, dumping a few feet on major areas including Boston and New York City.

This isn't the first snow event to wreak havoc. Here's a look back at some of the biggest, courtesy of Roadtrippers.com.

Winter of 1848
Niagara Falls froze to a trickle. Enough said. (It’s reported this is the only time in recorded history the falls have done so. (Note: there is some debate as to when these pictures were taken. They were most likely taken in 1911.)

The Great Blizzard of 1888
More than 200 ships were grounded when this March storm moved across the East Coast. Some cities saw upwards of 50 inches of snow, shutting down railways and fire stations which compounded the devastating effects of the storm. Over 400 people fell victim to this vicious storm.

The Knickerbocker Storm
The Washington DC area was rocked in the winter of 1922 when Mother Nature dumped 3 ft. of snow on the city. Sadly, the storm gets its name from the Knickerbocker Theater where the roof caved in under the weight of the snow killing 98 people and injuring 133.

The White Hurricane (Great Lakes Storm of 1913)
People on the Great Lakes are used to wind and lake effect snow, but the White Hurricane combined hurricane-force winds with blizzard conditions. The Great Lakes Storm of 1913 destroyed 19 ships and killed more than 250 people. Four of the five Great Lakes saw ships overturned, leading to changes in marine building standards.

The Great Appalachian Storm
Football fans are probably more familiar with this storm creating the OSU vs. Michigan Snow Bowl game at Ohio Stadium, but this late November storm walloped much of the country leaving 353 dead in its wake. The Great Appalachian Storm of 1950 would also become a catalyst to advances in weather prediction.

The Super Bowl Blizzard (Great Storm of 1975)
You know Mother Nature is sufficiently pissed when she sends January tornados quickly followed up by a heavy dumping of snow. The Great Storm of 1975 produced 44 confirmed tornados while creating snowdrifts topping 20ft in some parts of the Midwest. Between the tornados and snowfall 60 people across the country lost their lives.

Snowmageddon
Ah, here's one we were all alive for. In February 2010, two blizzards dumped nearly 40 inches in some places and pretty much brought the east coast to a grinding halt. Nearly 70 percent of this great country was blanketed with snow, but the rain the storm dumped on our Mexican friends proved to be even deadlier than the snow we saw.

2013’s “Catastrophic” Southern Storm
This storm doesn't go down in American history for its amount of snowfall, but instead it stands as a wonderful reminder of just how terribly ill-equipped people from the south are for a little snowfall.

The Buffalo Winter Storm Knife
The folks of Buffalo are used to a little snow, and by little we mean roughly 7 ft a year, but this strange lake-effect snowstorm dumped a whopping 5 ft. of snow in just a few days. Roofs collapsed, motorists were left stranded, and at least 13 people lost their lives as a result of the storm.