From deadly snowstorms to crippling floods, winter can bring some of the most destructive weather in the Northern Hemisphere. Here we take a look back at some of the most extreme wintry months, from dramatic storms of the early 20th century to today’s freezing conditions, felt across the US and beyond.
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Also known as "The White Hurricane", this storm in November 1913 affected the Great Lakes Basin in the Midwestern region of the US for over three days. It was caused by out-of-season warm conditions across the lakes, which, when paired with a cold front pushing in from Canada, formed a huge storm.
The storm was so powerful it sank 12 ships and damaged 30 others, killing at least 250 people at sea. The financial toll was huge too, costing around $5 million (about $126m today) in lost vessels. It remains the deadliest storm to hit the Great Lakes ever recorded.
The District of Columbia is no stranger to bad weather bouts, but the Knickerbocker storm was one of the deadliest in Washington’s history. In January 1922, a severe blizzard blanketed the mid-Atlantic states of the US for several days, with a record-breaking 2ft 4ins (0.7m) of snow.
Why is it known as the Knickerbocker storm? It was named after the Knickerbocker Theater in Washington DC, whose roof collapsed under the weight of the snow, with hundreds of movie-goers inside. Wet snow and concrete fell on audience members during an intermission, killing 98 people and injuring over 100 more.
On greeting cards and in the movies, a white Christmas is nearly always magical. The reality, however, can be rather different. Britain’s whitest Christmas of the 20th century saw freezing arctic winds crippling the country on Christmas Day of 1927, with the freezing temperatures lasting until 27 December.
Southern England was badly affected, especially the Cotswolds, but snow also fell in Wales and the Midlands. The snow was up to 20 feet (6m) deep in some areas, burying some single-storey buildings and leading to abandoned cars in central London.
Just under 18 months after the end of the Second World War, Europe faced yet another challenge, this time from Mother Nature. Swathes of the continent were affected by this terrible winter but, in the UK, the low temperatures and persistent snow caused severe hardship nationwide. Snow fell every day for 55 days in a row cutting off some areas of the country, with the lowest temperature of -21°C (-5.8°F) recorded in Woburn, Bedfordshire on 25 February 1947.
The falling snow choked remote areas, causing roadblocks, and existing post-war food rations had to be made even smaller as vegetables and other produce froze. When it finally thawed in 1947, the snowmelt caused severe flooding across the country.
Dubbed the "North American Blizzard", this extremely heavy snowfall struck much of the East Coast in January 1996, with drifts of 2 to 3 feet (0.6m to 0.9m) stretching from Philadelphia to New York. The storm was the result of cold air from Canada colliding with warmer air from the Gulf of Mexico.
In January 2008 until early February, a series of severe winter storms ravaged southern and central China, bringing much of the country to a halt. Hundreds of people were left stranded in Shanghai thanks to transport disruption as sleet and snow hit this city, which has one of the world's largest populations.
At least 24 people were reportedly killed by the harsh weather conditions. The storm caused extensive damage, cutting off water and power supplies for days on end. The total cost of damages is estimated to have been a staggering 151 billion Chinese yuan (roughly $21.3bn/£16.6bn).
Until 2010, the coldest winter on record was a century before, in 1910. But all that changed with the sub-zero temperatures of 2010 to 2011. The unexpected weather was reportedly caused by high pressure across the polar region, which pushed cold air out of the Arctic towards northern Europe, resulting in the freezing conditions.
Large amounts of rain and winds of up to 99mph caused major flooding throughout Britain and Ireland in December 2013. Thousands of homes were destroyed and an estimated 620,000 homes went days without power.
Transport was badly affected. The main train line in Dawlish, Devon, was damaged, making access to Cornwall difficult. Meanwhile, Gatwick Airport near London was left without power, while waves swept away 300 tonnes of track at Llanaber station in Wales, which remained closed for five months after the storm. The economic damages from the floods are estimated to have been a hefty £1.5 billion ($1.1bn).
For those used to regular snowfall, depths of 0.83 feet (0.2m) probably don't sound like much. But in Tokyo, while snow isn't unheard of, it's usually limited to short bursts on a few days a year. That's why the arrival of two terrible storms in 2014 caught the crowded city off guard, causing a reported 11 deaths, with hundreds more injured in snow-related accidents.
Reports say that hundreds of houses caved in and collapsed due to the heavy snowfall. Roads were also blocked leaving hundreds of commuters stranded on Tokyo’s streets.
The East Coast was hit once again by another snowstorm in January 2016. Although "Storm Jonas" certainly wasn't the biggest in US history, it disrupted the lives of over 85 million people across the Northeast. Nearly 12,000 flights were cancelled due to heavy snowfall and thousands of power outages in businesses and homes swept the region.
At least fifty people reportedly died from traffic-related accidents and the economic loss of the storm was staggering. Some estimates put the cost of Jonas at $2.5 to $3 billion (£1.9 to 2.3bn) due to lost working days and disruption to transport and retailers.
In January 2019, arctic winds brought staggeringly low temperatures across the Midwest, transforming Chicago into an icy wasteland. Temperatures dropped to a record-breaking -31°C (-23°F), the lowest temperatures in Chicago in years. The mercury dropped so low that parts of the Chicago River froze over.
The weather was so bad that the Illinois governor declared a state of emergency due to the plummeting temperatures, which at times were colder than Antarctica. To keep the city's trains running, gas fires were used on the rail tracks, while those at home were requested to turn down their heating to conserve much needed energy. However, it was those who were homeless or working outdoors that were hardest hit, with at least 21 fatalities and many others treated for frostbite.
Though these natural ice sculptures may look striking, the storm caused widespread disruption and damage to properties and infrastructure. Another affected area, Geneva-on-the-Lake in Ohio, declared a state of “erosion emergency” as the winds and waves ravaged the lakeside community and its shores.
The hill town of Murree, Pakistan – 43.5 miles (70km) from the capital Islamabad – is usually filled with gleeful skiiers in winter. Between January 5-January 7 2022, the town received record-breaking snowfall, including the night of January 7 when 4 feet (1.2m) of snow fell in one night. Tourists flocked to Murree to enjoy the fresh blanket. However, the resulting influx of more than 100,000 cars caused the roads around Murree to become gridlocked. The snowfall also caused trees to fall onto roads, worsening the blockage.
Further blizzards spelled disaster when the snow trapped cars (and their passengers) outside the safety of the resort. It is estimated that 23 people perished in their cars, suffocating whilst snowed under, or frozen to death as temperatures dropped to -8°C (18°F). The town was evacuated, but the Pakistani government faced heavy criticism for not issuing early warnings advising people not to travel to Murree.
In December 2022, just ahead of the Christmas weekend, the US was hit by bitingly cold temperatures and blizzard conditions, with more than 200 million people under weekend weather alerts in almost every state. Temperatures dropped to below -45°C (-49°F) in parts of Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming – cold enough for frostbite to develop on bare skin within just five to 10 minutes, according to experts. Pictured here is a man using a snow blower in Chicago.
On 23 December 2022, further extreme cold and blizzard conditions hit, particularly across the Midwest. The National Weather Service said: “If traveling for the holiday, please use extreme caution". Pictured here is mist rising above ice floes on the Yellowstone River, where temperatures of -34°C (-29°F) were recorded overnight on 22 December.
Usually famed for its hot springs, Yosemite National Park in California hit the headlines for a different reason in March 2023. Unprecedented levels of snow blanketed the park, piling up to 15 feet (4.5m) in some areas. Some 40 inches (1m) of snow broke a 54-year-old daily record – described as a “once in a generation event” by park officials – carpeting the spectacular Half Dome cliff, blocking doorways to buildings and nearly burying tents.
Other parts of California were badly affected as well. The Sierra Nevada mountains saw so much snowfall that entire towns shut down, with California’s governor declaring a state of emergency in 13 counties. Some ski resorts reported up to 10 feet (three metres) of snow in just a few days. Pictured here is a partially buried gas pump in Yosemite National Park.
In 2023, Alaska’s largest city logged its snowiest November since records began in 1953 – reaching the milestone just over halfway through the month. Anchorage recorded 39.1 inches (99cms) of snowfall in November, surpassing the previous record of 38.8 inches (98.5cms) from 1994. Much of the snow fell during a three-day snowstorm that brought more than 20 inches (50cms) in total. This photo shows a woman cross-country skiing through Anchorage in November 2023.
A state of emergency was declared as a result of the heavy snowfall, with schools closed and disruption across public transport. But it was the homeless population who were most seriously affected – four deaths were reported among those living outdoors despite increased efforts to find additional shelters. November 2023 ended as one of Anchorage’s snowiest months of all time – following February 1996, which saw 52.1 inches (132cms). In this photo, a pedestrian pushes a shopping trolly through the street after the record snowfall.