On Sunday, March 11, 1888, the official Weather Bureau forecast for New York City called for rain and colder conditions with brisk westerly winds. For Monday, the prediction was for fair weather.
The rain came down in torrents on that Sunday. But during the early morning hours on Monday the 12th, the rain changed to snow and strong northerly winds began to blow. By dawn on Monday, New York City was experiencing a full blown blizzard with ten inches of snow already on the ground.
As the day went on, the snow and wind increased in intensity until 20.9 inches of snow had fallen, whipped into drifts up to 20 feet deep, covering the first two floors of some buildings.
Transportation ground to a halt, including the Brooklyn Bridge. The city was completely cut off from the outside world. Only the telegraph wires to London were working. Nearly all electrical power was cut off.
The Blizzard of 1888 would go down in history as one of the greatest snowstorms of all time. Saratoga, NY reported 58 inches of snow. 46.7 inches of snow fell at Albany NY. 42 inches fell at New Haven CT.
Over 400 people were killed, 200 of them in New York City.
