Winter storms range from local snow events to systems spanning hundreds of thousands of square miles. The statistics below separate observed measurements from estimates, preserve the relevant U.S. geography and period, and distinguish snowfall, wind, exposure, outages, mortality and economic loss.
Key Winter Storm Statistics
The most broadly useful winter storm statistics include:
- 24 U.S. winter-storm events exceeded $1 billion in losses from 1980 through 2024.
- Winter storms accounted for 10 of 133 billion-dollar U.S. disasters from 1980 through 2011.
- Those 10 winter storms represented $29.3 billion in inflation-adjusted damage through 2011.
- Winter storms averaged $4.1 billion per billion-dollar event from 1980 through 2021.
- The March 1993 Storm of the Century covered more than 550,000 square miles in the United States.
- The March 1993 storm impacted nearly 120 million people in the United States.
- More than 29 million people experienced mapped winter weather during the December 7–10, 2018 storm.
- More than 1.7 million people received at least 12 inches of snow during the December 2018 storm.
- The November 2016 Minnesota storm produced 340 reported crashes, including 37 injury crashes and two fatalities.
- Nearly 17,000 residences near Rochester, New York, lost power during the November 2016 storm.
- More than 120,000 Massachusetts customers lost power at the height of the January 29–30, 2022 storm.
- Boston Logan Airport canceled 91% of its flights on January 29, 2022.
- The March 2018 nor’easter caused more than two million power outages.
- The November 2014 Erie County snowstorm was linked to 11 deaths across direct, indirect and possible classifications.
- The February 1978 eastern Massachusetts blizzard had 27 storm-related deaths in studies cited by CDC.
- The February 1978 blizzard reduced emergency-room visits 64% in Rhode Island and 56% in eastern Massachusetts.
- The December 2022 storm produced a 31.0-inch maximum at Pinkham Notch.
- The March 2018 nor’easter produced hurricane-force winds in six states.
Contents
- Key Winter Storm Statistics
- Winter Storm Statistics: Billion-Dollar Events and Long-Term Costs
- Winter Storm Data on Snowfall, Wind and Exposed Populations
- Winter Storm Statistics for Power, Travel and Infrastructure
- Winter Storm Mortality and Public-Health Statistics
- Major U.S. Blizzards and Nor’easters in the Data
- Regional Patterns and Measurement Limits in Winter Storm Statistics
Winter Storm Statistics: Billion-Dollar Events and Long-Term Costs
NOAA’s billion-dollar disaster series counts only events meeting an inflation-adjusted damage threshold. It is therefore a measure of large economic losses, not a count of every winter storm.
| Measure | Period | U.S. result |
|---|---|---|
| Winter-storm events above $1 billion | 1980–2024 | 24 events |
| Winter storms among billion-dollar disasters | 1980–2011 | 10 of 133 events, or 7.5% |
| Winter-storm damage in the historical comparison | 1980–2011, 2011 dollars | $29.3 billion, or 3.3% of $881.2 billion |
| Average winter-storm loss per qualifying event | 1980–2021 | $4.1 billion |
Sources: NOAA Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters: Annual Summary (1980–2024), Billion Dollar Weather/Climate Disasters, and NOAA disaster-type comparison.
The 1980–2011 comparison also recorded 32 drought events, 45 floods, 9 freezes, 203 severe storms, 67 tropical cyclones and 23 wildfires above the billion-dollar threshold. These are NOAA disaster categories and are not interchangeable with a complete inventory of winter weather.
NOAA’s 1980–2011 winter-storm total implies about $2.93 billion per qualifying event, calculated from $29.3 billion across 10 events; this is a derived arithmetic summary, not a separately reported NOAA estimate. The normalized 2001–2010 series estimated winter-storm losses at $1.3 billion per year, with 2010 losses of $1.2 billion, the fifth-highest annual value in that comparison (Sidebar 7.2: Billion Dollar U.S. Weather Disasters: 2001–10).
The March 12–14, 1993 Storm of the Century caused approximately $5.5 billion in damage at the time, or $11.5 billion in 2022 dollars (On This Day: The 1993 Storm of the Century). NOAA cost estimates are conservative because natural-capital, health-care and value-of-life losses are not fully measured.
Winter Storm Data on Snowfall, Wind and Exposed Populations
Population-impact figures estimate people exposed to mapped conditions; they are not surveys of unique individuals. Snowfall ranges and station measurements likewise describe selected locations rather than national averages.
| Event and period | Population or location | Measured result |
|---|---|---|
| December 7–10, 2018 | United States | More than 29 million people affected by winter weather |
| December 7–10, 2018 | United States | More than 1.7 million people received at least 12 inches of snow |
| December 8, 2018 | Lubbock, Texas | 10.0 inches, sixth-snowiest day on record |
| December 9, 2018 | Roanoke and Danville, Virginia | 15.0 and 15.2 inches |
The December 7–10, 2018 Central and Eastern U.S. Winter Storm Event Review reported widespread 8–16 inch snowfall from western North Carolina to southern Virginia. The figures are WPC Regional Snowfall Index impact estimates and local gauge observations.
The December 10, 2022 storm produced 18–24 inches across parts of the Adirondacks, Green and White Mountains, and upstate Maine, with a 31.0-inch maximum at Pinkham Notch. Selected totals included 28.0 inches at Stoney Creek, New York, and 26.0 inches at Landgrove, Vermont (December 10, 2022 Winter Storm Event Review).
Wind can expand the impact beyond the snow footprint. The March 2, 2018 nor’easter produced hurricane-force winds of at least 74 mph in six states; selected gusts exceeded 70 mph around Washington, D.C., and reached 93 mph in eastern Massachusetts, while parts of upstate New York received more than two feet of snow (Powerful March Nor’easter seen by GOES East).
Winter Storm Statistics for Power, Travel and Infrastructure
Outage counts refer to different populations—residences, households, residents or utility customers—so they should not be combined as if they measured the same unit.
| Event and period | Geography | Disruption |
|---|---|---|
| November 2016 | Near Rochester, New York | Nearly 17,000 residences without power |
| February 5–6, 2016 | New England | More than 100,000 residents without power |
| January 29–30, 2022 | Massachusetts | More than 120,000 customers without power at peak |
| January 29–30, 2022 | Maine | More than 5,000 households without power |
| March 2, 2018 | Mid-Atlantic and Northeast | More than two million power outages |
These observations come from the Central Rockies to Great Lakes Winter Storm, November 2016, January 28–30, 2022 Northeast Winter Storm Event Review, and Powerful March Nor’easter seen by GOES East. The March 2018 outage figure is attributed by NOAA to media reports.
Travel disruption was also concentrated at individual airports. On January 29, 2022, Logan Airport canceled 91% of flights; the January 29–30, 2022 storm canceled 900 flights at JFK, 600 at Newark and more than 300 at Philadelphia (January 28–30, 2022 Northeast Winter Storm Event Review).
Road impacts can be counted as incidents or closures. Minnesota State Patrol recorded 340 crashes during the November 2016 storm period, including 37 injury crashes and two fatalities, plus 559 vehicles that spun out or slid off roads; I-70 in Colorado and I-80 in Wyoming were closed or forced closures (Central Rockies to Great Lakes Winter Storm, November 2016).
Winter Storm Mortality and Public-Health Statistics
Mortality reports distinguish direct, indirect and possible storm-related deaths. That classification matters because a storm can create hazardous conditions without being recorded as the immediate medical cause.
The November 18–21, 2014 Erie County, New York, snowstorm produced 60–84 inches in some areas and was linked to 11 deaths: one direct, nine indirect and one possible. Four deaths involved shoveling or blowing snow, and two involved carbon-monoxide intoxication in stranded vehicles (Notes from the Field: Snowstorm-Related Mortality — Erie County, New York, November 2014).
Erie County had nearly 923,000 residents, with 16.3% aged 65 or older when the mortality report was prepared. That is population context, not a storm-exposure or age-specific death rate.
The February 1978 eastern Massachusetts blizzard provides a longer historical comparison. Studies cited by CDC classified 27 deaths—one-third of all deaths—as storm-related, including eight people who died after being stranded in cars, five from carbon-monoxide intoxication (Public Health Impact of a Snow Disaster).
Emergency-room use fell 64% in Rhode Island and 56% in eastern Massachusetts during the February 1978 blizzard. This is a short-term utilization change during the storm, not evidence that illness burden fell.
The March 2, 2018 nor’easter was associated with seven deaths according to media reports cited by NOAA. The attribution criteria were not detailed in the NOAA article, so the figure should remain labeled as a reported association (Powerful March Nor’easter seen by GOES East).
Major U.S. Blizzards and Nor’easters in the Data
Large storms combine several hazards, so one event can have separate statistics for area, population, wind, snow, surge and flooding.
| Event | Area or population | Selected physical measurements |
|---|---|---|
| March 12–14, 1993 Storm of the Century | More than 550,000 square miles; nearly 120 million people | $11.5 billion in 2022-dollar damage |
| December 10–13, 1992 nor’easter | Northeastern U.S. coast | 80 mph gust; 1–4 foot tidal surge; 20–25 foot waves |
| December 10–13, 1992 nor’easter | Hills west of Boston and Berkshire Mountains | 27 inches in 24 hours; four feet of snow; drifts as high as 10 feet |
The On This Day: The 1993 Storm of the Century gives the 1993 area and population estimates. The Surveillance of Deaths Attributed to a Nor’easter — December 1992 reports the 1992 wind, surge, wave and snow observations.
The December 1992 nor’easter also produced sustained winds of 20–30 mph across the affected coastal region and flooding reaching 4–5 feet in both Boston and New York City. Flooding measurements can vary by location and reference datum, while snow depth and drift are different measurements.
Regional Patterns and Measurement Limits in Winter Storm Statistics
Regional Snowfall Index values combine snowfall extent, snowfall amount and population, but they are not direct snowfall depths. The February 9–10, 2017 Northeast storm affected more than 60 million people, had an RSI value of 2.154 and was rated Category 1; visibility at Boston Logan Airport fell to 1/16 mile for more than four hours (The Winter Storm of 9–10 February 2017).
The January 29–30, 2022 storm produced two feet of coastal inundation at Boston Harbor. The December 10, 2022 storm produced 0.25–0.50 inches of ice accumulation in parts of the Mid-Atlantic, including about 0.50 inches near Emporium, Pennsylvania (January 28–30, 2022 Northeast Winter Storm Event Review; December 10, 2022 Winter Storm Event Review).
The most reliable interpretation keeps each measure attached to its definition: mapped population exposure is an estimate, outage customers are not necessarily people, local incident tallies are not national totals, and selected station observations are not regional averages. NOAA’s billion-dollar series measures threshold-crossing economic loss, while CDC mortality categories preserve differing degrees of storm attribution.