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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 mean for 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
Arkansas Online, 31 Jan. 2026
As much of the United States still freezes, parts of the South are set to see snow and powerful winds with potential blizzard conditions in coastal areas.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 31 Jan. 2026
The combination of strong, gusty winds near the coast will create near blizzard conditions, which will greatly reduce visibility and cause dangerous conditions late Saturday and overnight.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 31 Jan. 2026
Southern regions unprepared for heavy snow face blizzard conditions and dangerously low temperatures.
—Kristin M. Hall, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 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 1 Feb. 2026.
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blizzard
noun
