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The earliest recorded appearance of the word blizzard meaning “a severe snowstorm” was in the April 23, 1870 issue of a newspaper published in Estherville, Iowa. Blizzard shows up again during the following years in several newspapers in Iowa and neighboring states, and by 1888, when a snowstorm paralyzed the Eastern seaboard, the word was well-known nationally. However, in other senses, the word blizzard existed earlier. Davy Crockett, for instance, used it twice in the 1830s, once to mean a rifle blast and once to refer to a blast of words. All of these uses seem related, but the ultimate origin of the word is still unclear.
Examples of blizzard in a Sentence
Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 15 Mar. 2026
Nine people died in an avalanche near Donner Pass while trying to exit the backcountry amid a historic blizzard.
—Sacbee.com, 14 Mar. 2026
The weather service considered a winter storm watch with potential blizzard conditions, but held off because confidence is not high enough to expect visibility cut to a quarter mile or less with only an inch or two of snow expected, according to its forecast discussion.
—Kansas City Star, 14 Mar. 2026
Wind gusts of more than 50 mph could create blizzard conditions in the region.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for blizzard
Cite this Entry
“Blizzard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blizzard. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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blizzard
noun
