The deadliest blizzard on record was the Iran Blizzard of 1972, which killed more than 4,000 people. From 3 February to 10 February in 1972, as much as 26 feet (7.92 m) of snow fell in the country, burying roads, power lines and villagers. In fact, one small village was thought to have been completely buried by snow. The blizzard, which came after Iran had experienced four years of drought conditions, occurred with the temperature estimated to be minus-13° Fahrenheit (minus-25° Celsius). This resulted in many frozen pipes, making the already low water supply even more limited.
More about deadly blizzards:
- Blizzards are not classified by the amount of snowfall, but by wind speed and duration. For a snowstorm to qualify as a blizzard, winds must reach 35 miles per hour (56.33 km/h) and last for at least three hours.
- The first recorded blizzards in the US were during the white winter of 1880-1881, when blizzards started in October and did not let up until February.
- A combination of a blizzard and hurricane, the 1993 Storm of the Century spread from Cuba to Canada over the course of three days in March 1993.
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More Info: noaa.gov
Discussion Comments
In relation to blizzards, it's always a good idea to check the weather. It can be very unpredictable sometimes, and you won't always know when it's coming. For example, let's say that you were checking the weather, and the meteorologist said there was going to be a massive snowstorm at 5:00 P.M. If you happen to have work that day, make preparations. Maybe you could even ask to leave an hour early (if you have good attendance).
When I was in third grade, I remember my school being canceled due to a blizzard. At first, I really enjoyed it. However, it got very tiresome after a while. School was canceled for three days, and also, the problem with that was we had to make up for any lost school days. Instead of getting out on June 4th, our last day was June 7th.
When you're of a very young age, blizzards can definitely be something to enjoy immensely. This is especially the case if you don't like school. You get to play in the snow for a little bit, and sip on hot chocolate all day. However, when you're an adult, you definitely have a different perspective on the situation, as it's more of an interference than anything else. As adults, we have very busy lives, and any snowstorms would interfere with our ability to pay the bills and go to work.
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