blizzard

noun

bliz·​zard ˈbli-zərd 

1

: a long severe snowstorm

2

: an intensely strong cold wind filled with fine snow

3

: an overwhelming rush or deluge

a blizzard of mail around the holidays

blizzardy

ˈbli-zər-dē 

adjective

or less commonly blizzardly

ˈbli-ˌzərd-lē 

Did you know?

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

We were snowed in by a raging blizzard.

Recent Examples on the Web

Eight climbers died on Mount Everest when they were caught in a blizzard while descending from the summit. —USA Today, 6 May 2026

People wait in line for the opening of a NYC Trader Joe's grocery store on February 22, 2026 ahead of a blizzard. —Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 1 May 2026

Carson smothers it over a crisp and shattering tortilla with tart pickled jalapeño, silky avocado crema and a blizzard of cotija cheese. —Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026

In March, much of that precipitation fell as snow, including in an enormous blizzard that brought 3 feet of snow to parts of Michigan. —The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for blizzard

• gizzard
• izard
• lizard
• wizard

Kids Definition

blizzard

noun

bliz·​zard ˈbliz-ərd 

1

: a long heavy snowstorm

2

: a very strong cold wind filled with fine snow

3

: an overwhelming rush or deluge

a blizzard of mail