Worst Northeast Snowstorms: How Does 'Juno' Compare?

The blizzard about to wallop the northeastern United States could bring record snowfall to New York and other areas, forecasters say. But how does it stack up against some of the region's worst snowstorms in history?

From the Great Blizzard of 1888, which piled more than 4 feet (1.2 meters) of snow on Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York, to the "Storm of the Century" in 1993, which spanned from Cuba to Canada, the Northeast has seen its share of snowy mayhem.

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From March 11 to 12, 1888, a massive Nor'easter hit the northeast, from the Chesapeake Bay to Maine; 50 inches (127 cm) of snow fell in Connecticut and Massachusetts, and New Jersey and New York saw 40 inches (102 cm), according to the National Weather Service. New York City had 21 inches (53 cm) of accumulation — the third-largest amount on record. More than 400 people died in the disaster, making it the worst death toll from a winterstorm in U.S. history. The snow buried houses and trains, and strong winds sank 200 ships. (Image credit: Library of Congress)

Also known as the Superstorm of 1993, the so-called "Storm of the Century" was both a blizzard and a cyclone. It stretched across the continent from Cuba to Canada, causing 310 deaths and $6.6 billion in damage. The South was shut down for three days because of the treacherous conditions. Despite the storm's brutality, the occasion marked the first time that the National Weather Service had successfully made a five-day forecast of a storm's severity. Leaders in some regions declared a State of Emergency even before the snow started. (Image credit: NASA)

A brutal winter storm shut down much of the East Coast, from Georgia to Maine, beginning on Feb. 11, 1899. The event brought record-low temperatures (some of which still stand), as well as record snowfall. Snow showers started in Florida and moved northward, totaling a whopping 20 inches (51 cm) in Washington, D.C. in one day, and a record (at the time) 34 inches (86 cm) in New Jersey. (Image credit: Library of Congress)

From Feb. 5 to 7, 1978, a Nor'easter gained strength off the mid-Atlantic coast, bringing strong winds and 1 to 3 feet of snow across the Northeast. Boston and Providence set snowfall records for the time — 27.1 inches (68.8 cm) and 27.6 inches (70.1 cm), respectively. The long-lasting snow was due to a high-pressure system over eastern Canada that kept the storm parked over New England, which also created hurricane-force winds in some regions, with gusts of 80 to 90 mph (129 to 145 km/h) from Boston to Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Tanya was a staff writer for Live Science from 2013 to 2015, covering a wide array of topics, ranging from neuroscience to robotics to strange/cute animals. She received a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a bachelor of science in biomedical engineering from Brown University. She has previously written for Science News, Wired, The Santa Cruz Sentinel, the radio show Big Picture Science and other places. Tanya has lived on a tropical island, witnessed volcanic eruptions and flown in zero gravity (without losing her lunch!). To find out what her latest project is, you can visit her website.