Major US winter storms
The biggest winter storms, blizzards, ice storms and cold waves to hit the United States, newest first: when they struck, where, how much snow and ice fell, and the deaths, power outages and costs recorded by official sources. Every figure links to the NOAA or National Weather Service page it comes from.
| Storm | Dates | Deaths (NCEI) | Cost (NCEI, at the time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 22-23, 2026 East Coast blizzard (named Hernando by The Weather Channel) New York City area, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut |
22–23 February 2026 | not in record | not in record |
| January 24-26, 2026 winter storm (named Fern by The Weather Channel) More than 20 states from New Mexico to Maine |
24–26 January 2026 | not in record | not in record |
| January 2025 Gulf Coast snowstorm Northern Gulf Coast |
20–22 January 2025 | not in record | not in record |
| January 2024 Arctic outbreak and winter storms The Northwest, then the central, southern and northeastern US |
12–18 January 2024 | 61 | $1.9 billion |
| December 2022 winter storm and Buffalo blizzard (named Elliott by The Weather Channel) Central and eastern US; worst blizzard in the Buffalo area |
21–26 December 2022 | 87 | $8.4 billion |
| February 2021 winter storm and Texas freeze (named Uri by The Weather Channel) Northwest, central and eastern US; worst in Texas |
10–19 February 2021 | 262 | $22.7 billion |
| January 2019 polar vortex cold Upper Midwest and Great Lakes |
30–31 January 2019 | not in record | not in record |
| February 2011 Groundhog Day blizzard Central and eastern US; the detail here is for the Chicago area |
1–3 February 2011 | 36 | $1.8 billion |
| January 1998 ice storm Northern New York and northern New England, plus two Canadian provinces |
5–9 January 1998 | 16 | $1.4 billion |
| March 1993 Superstorm Gulf Coast, Southeast, Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast |
11–14 March 1993 | 270 | $5.5 billion |
"Not in record" means the storm is not in NOAA NCEI's billion-dollar disaster list, which runs from 1980 to 2024 and includes only events that cost at least $1 billion; it does not mean nobody died. Each storm's page gives the official figures that do exist. Where NCEI keeps two records for one stretch of weather (January 2024), the deaths of both are added here, the cost shown is the larger record's, and the storm page lists both.
Storm names
The National Weather Service does not name winter storms. Names like Uri, Elliott and Fern come from The Weather Channel, a private company, which has named winter storms each season since 2012-13 (The Weather Channel). This site titles each storm by its dates and region and gives the name only so it can be found.
Questions
What was the deadliest US winter storm on this list?
The March 1993 Superstorm, with 270 deaths in NOAA NCEI's billion-dollar disaster record. NCEI's record starts in 1980 and lists only storms that cost at least $1 billion.
What was the costliest US winter storm?
In NOAA NCEI's billion-dollar disaster record for 1980 to 2024, the February 2021 winter storm and Texas freeze: $22.7 billion at the time, $27.2 billion adjusted for inflation by NCEI.
Who names winter storms like Uri, Elliott and Fern?
The Weather Channel, a private company, which has named winter storms each season since 2012-13. The National Weather Service does not name winter storms. This site titles each storm by its dates and region and mentions the Weather Channel name only so you can find it.
Where do the numbers on these pages come from?
From official sources only: NOAA NCEI's billion-dollar disaster record for deaths and costs, and the event summaries of National Weather Service offices and NOAA for snow, ice, temperatures and power outages. Each figure is linked to its source. Where two official sources give different death counts, both are shown.
Winter weather now
Winter storm warnings today · Blizzard warnings · Ice storm warnings · Winter storm outlook, next 3 days · Winter outlook 2026–27 by state · Atmospheric river: California · All historical disasters
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters, events 1980–2024; National Weather Service office event summaries; NOAA NESDIS. US government works, public domain. Costs are NCEI's, in US dollars at the time; each storm page also gives NCEI's inflation-adjusted figure.