Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties. Every one the National Weather Service has filed, by year and by state, with the deadliest and costliest.
The deadliest and costliest on the map
The deadliest and costliest winter weather episodes on record.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 85,170
- Deaths
- 1,095
- Injuries
- 6,623
- Damage
- $138 million
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
Every year
Deaths each year
The deadliest
Deaths from this kind of event within each episode.
- Winter Weather in California, January 7 to 18, 1997Persistent northerly flow and low pressure aloft along the west coast, resulted in a prolonged period of cold and snow for the San Diego Mountains.
- Ice Storm and Winter Weather in Texas, February 9 to 11, 2021February 9th, 2021 was the beginning of what would become a historic winter weather event across the state of Texas, with multiple rounds of winter precipitation and deadly cold temperatures.
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Michigan, December 1 to 2, 2007A low pressure system developed over Colorado and tracked through the Central Plains and eventually over Southeast Lower Michigan. With temperatures in the low 20s, the precipitation on the evening of the 1st began as all snow.
- Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, January 6, 2004An arctic cold front crossed central Pennsylvania during the mid morning hours of Tuesday, January 6th, accompanied by a narrow band of intense snow squalls. These squalls caused the visibility to drop to near zero, and caused roadways to quickly become snow covered and icy.
- Winter Weather in North Carolina, December 4, 2010As a storm system track just south of the region between one to three inches of snow fell along and north of Highway 64 to the Virginia border. The heaviest snow fell in a band more more than 30 miles wide.
- Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, March 28, 2022Snow squalls developed during the day on March 28, 2022 as unseasonably cold air aloft moved over central Pennsylvania. Surface temperatures were anomalously cold as well, with many locations across central Pennsylvania experiencing record cold high temperatures.
- Winter Weather in Nebraska, November 26 to 27, 2006It was a very warm period for Thanksgiving with afternoon high temperatures in the 50s and 60s, a cold front moved into the area on Sunday and brought colder air to the region.
- Winter Weather in Texas, December 17 to 20, 2005A cold and moist airmass across the Texas panhandle resulted in an extended period of light freezing rain and freezing drizzle and dangerous driving conditions.
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in New Jersey, March 16 to 17, 2007A nor'easter caused sleet to fall across the greater Philadelphia Metropolitan Area and the Raritan Basin and heavy snow and sleet to fall across northwestern New Jersey. The nor'easter caused thousands of accidents and six known fatalities.
- Winter Weather in Colorado, March 30, 2009A band of heavy snow, induced by a strong upper level jetstream, wreaked havoc on the morning commute in Denver, as well as area north and east of the Denver area. The snow was heaviest on the east side of the Denver metro area where storm totals ranged from 2 to 5 inches.
- Winter Weather in Wisconsin, February 3 to 4, 2018A long duration period of relatively mild and moist air moving into the region, followed by a low pressure area and cold front resulted in several inches of snow accumulation. |The long duration snow resulted in 4 to 8 inches of accumulation over much of southern WI.
- Winter Storm and High Wind in Tennessee, January 24 to 26, 2026Broad scale upper lift led to a complex winter storm across East Tennessee, with onset precipitation of snow transitioning to freezing rain before ending as rain as the temperatures rose through the evening, night, and following morning.
- Winter Weather in Nebraska, January 11, 2013January 11, 2013 a powerful upper level low pressure system moved through the Plains and brought winter weather conditions to western and north central Nebraska. Snow and blowing snow was forecasted for the eastern Panhandle and the western Sandhills of Nebraska.
- Winter Weather in Nebraska, November 20 to 21, 2010This Saturday afternoon and evening featured the first Winter Weather Advisory of the 2010-2011 season for South Central Nebraska, as an expansive area of freezing drizzle enveloped the region, resulting in a thin coating of ice and several traffic accidents, including a…
- Winter Weather in Indiana, January 8, 2022A very thin layer of dry air in the lowest levels of the atmosphere led to surface temperatures dropping quickly during the early afternoon as light liquid precipitation began falling on western central Indiana.
- Winter Weather in Wisconsin, December 24, 2008Yet another low pressure system moving from the Southern Plains to Lower Michigan dumped light to moderate snow amounts across south-central and southeast Wisconsin.
- Winter Weather in Kansas, December 31, 2006The back side of a strong area of low pressure brought a relatively quick round of moderate to heavy snow to portions of Central Kansas during the predawn to mid-morning hours on the 31st. Snow accumulations ranged from 3 to 5 inches.
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in Oregon, December 19 to 21, 2007A potent Pacific storm and associated cold front brought strong winds to the coast and heavy snow to the Cascades. Behind the front in the unstable airmass, snow levels dropped and cold air hung over the forecast area.
- Winter Weather in Indiana, December 21 to 22, 2008An arctic cold front swept through northern Indiana early on December 21st. Strong west winds of 20 to 35 mph, combined with lake-effect snow showers created reduced visibilities and blowing snow. This led to icy road conditions.
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in New York, February 1, 2008A low pressure system tracked northeast from the Ohio Valley into northern New England on Friday, February 1st, producing a significant mix of mainly sleet and freezing rain across portions of east central New York and adjacent western New England.
- Blizzard and Winter Weather in Nebraska, February 14 to 15, 2010A quick moving storm brought strong winds and blizzard or near-blizzard conditions to a large part of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa on Feb. 14th and 15th.
- Winter Weather in Illinois, February 5, 2010A storm system tracking from Texas eastward across the Gulf States, spread light snow into central Illinois on February 5th.
- Winter Weather in Texas, January 13, 2015Freezing temperatures and a brief period of freezing rain caused patchy ice to form on area bridges and roads during the morning hours. This resulted in two fatalities near Barnhart.
- Winter Weather in Kansas, December 26, 2017Between 1 and 2 inches of snow fell during the morning of December 26th causing slick travel on roadways. A winter weather advisory had been issued for the area where the fatal accident occurred.
- Winter Weather in Arkansas, November 14 to 15, 2018A storm system brought significant snow to parts of Arkansas on the 14th and 15th. On the 14th, it remained cold when a storm system aloft headed this way from the west.
The costliest
Damage from this kind of event within each episode, in the dollars of its year.
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Wisconsin, May 7 to 8, 2010
- Winter Weather in Washington, December 17 to 25, 2012
- Winter Weather in Wyoming, February 18, 2026
- Winter Weather in Ohio, January 21, 2013
- Winter Weather in Texas, January 26 to 27, 2009
- Winter Weather in Texas, February 1 to 2, 2023
- Ice Storm and Winter Weather in Texas, February 9 to 11, 2021
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Minnesota, April 10 to 11, 2019
- Winter Weather in Kansas, December 9, 2008
- Winter Weather in Michigan, January 12 to 14, 1999
- Winter Weather in Texas, December 22, 2007
- Winter Weather in Texas, January 7, 2010
- Winter Weather in Texas, January 31, 2008
- Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, January 6, 2004
- Winter Weather in Illinois, January 24, 2018
- Winter Weather in Missouri, February 15, 2019
- Winter Weather in Ohio, March 5, 2019
- Winter Weather in Oklahoma, November 26, 2023
- Ice Storm and Winter Weather in Arkansas, February 4, 2014
- High Wind and Winter Weather in Texas, December 7 to 8, 2009
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Arkansas, December 25 to 26, 2012
- Winter Weather in Texas, December 9, 2008
- Winter Weather in Nebraska, January 11, 2013
- Winter Weather in New Mexico, January 15 to 16, 2018
- Winter Weather in Utah, February 13, 2024
By state
| State or waters | Events | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 5,859 | 13 | 91 | $132,000 |
| Virginia | 4,745 | 14 | 35 | $1.1 million |
| North Carolina | 4,302 | 26 | 52 | $871,000 |
| New York | 4,260 | 24 | 506 | $5.1 million |
| Wisconsin | 3,682 | 80 | 509 | $18 million |
| Pennsylvania | 3,470 | 56 | 671 | $2.6 million |
| West Virginia | 3,294 | 2 | 27 | $1.7 million |
| Ohio | 3,212 | 14 | 255 | $8.1 million |
| Kentucky | 3,167 | 30 | 115 | $1.6 million |
| Texas | 3,139 | 102 | 648 | $27 million |
| South Dakota | 3,114 | 32 | 68 | $613,000 |
| New Jersey | 3,033 | 25 | 799 | |
| Illinois | 2,917 | 48 | 174 | $1.9 million |
| Maryland | 2,822 | 9 | 29 | $104,000 |
| Iowa | 2,490 | 22 | 32 | $770,000 |
| Michigan | 2,465 | 41 | 85 | $3.0 million |
| Vermont | 2,410 | 21 | 3 | $11 million |
| Arkansas | 2,176 | 17 | 15 | $3.5 million |
| Tennessee | 2,093 | 18 | 112 | $1.5 million |
| Indiana | 1,977 | 58 | 139 | $3.1 million |
| Kansas | 1,845 | 53 | 366 | $5.6 million |
| Nebraska | 1,805 | 35 | 67 | $2.3 million |
| Minnesota | 1,684 | 34 | 116 | $3.2 million |
| Missouri | 1,572 | 33 | 296 | $3.2 million |
| California | 1,477 | 32 | 92 | $1.0 million |
| Maine | 1,245 | 2 | 56 | $680,000 |
| Georgia | 1,149 | 5 | 45 | |
| Wyoming | 1,066 | 10 | 45 | $4.9 million |
| Oklahoma | 856 | 25 | 111 | $2.3 million |
| Montana | 846 | 55 | 100 | $545,000 |
| Utah | 824 | 10 | 40 | $3.8 million |
| Massachusetts | 748 | 3 | 90 | $2.6 million |
| South Carolina | 670 | 2 | 3 | $119,000 |
| Alabama | 538 | 7 | 11 | $25,000 |
| Mississippi | 525 | 15 | 86 | $1.3 million |
| Connecticut | 478 | 4 | 50 | $326,000 |
| Louisiana | 458 | 4 | 1 | $156,000 |
| Delaware | 425 | 3 | 271 | |
| Washington | 411 | 24 | 140 | $7.7 million |
| Idaho | 408 | 18 | 40 | $1.7 million |
| New Hampshire | 386 | 4 | 17 | $30,000 |
| North Dakota | 208 | 6 | 22 | $1.3 million |
| Alaska | 197 | 5 | 6 | $81,000 |
| Nevada | 166 | 6 | 18 | $230,000 |
| New Mexico | 146 | 18 | 51 | $2.5 million |
| Rhode Island | 104 | 1 | 0 | $102,000 |
| District of Columbia | 88 | 0 | 0 | |
| Oregon | 86 | 19 | 19 | $130,000 |
| Florida | 54 | 0 | 0 | |
| Arizona | 50 | 10 | 99 | $740,000 |
| Hawaii | 28 | 0 | 0 |
Every kind of event
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Hail
- Flash Flood
- High Wind
- Winter Storm
- Drought
- Winter Weather
- Tornado
- Heavy Snow
- Flood
- Marine Thunderstorm Wind
- Heat
- Heavy Rain
- Strong Wind
- Excessive Heat
- Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
- Cold/Wind Chill
- Lightning
- Dense Fog
- Blizzard
- Frost/Freeze
- Ice Storm
- High Surf
- Funnel Cloud
- Wildfire
- Tropical Storm
- Waterspout
- Coastal Flood
- Lake-Effect Snow
- Debris Flow
- Hurricane (Typhoon)
- Dust Storm
- Rip Current
- Storm Surge/Tide
- Marine High Wind
- Sleet
- Avalanche
- Marine Hail
- Astronomical Low Tide
- Marine Tropical Storm
- Tropical Depression
- Freezing Fog
- Lakeshore Flood
- Dust Devil
- Marine Strong Wind
- Dense Smoke
- Marine Hurricane/Typhoon
- Volcanic Ashfall
- Seiche
- Sneakerwave
- Volcanic Ash
- Tsunami
- Marine Tropical Depression
- Marine Dense Fog
- Northern Lights
- Marine Lightning
- Hurricane
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.