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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
Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 2 Apr. 2024
The snow and wind will produce areas of blowing and drifting snow as well as possible blizzard conditions Sunday into Monday.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN, 24 Mar. 2024
Winds are forecasted to be as high as 35 to 40 mph, which could bring blizzard conditions, especially on Monday and Tuesday.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC News, 22 Mar. 2024
And how about that California blizzard the first weekend of March?
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2024
As a result, the Sierras can experience blizzards that would be unfathomable in low-lying areas, like a single storm in late March, which deposited more than 10 feet of snow at the Sugar Bowl ski resort over the course of four days.
—Ned Kleiner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
How to Icefish for Crappie in a Blizzard If the news is calling for a blizzard, the average ice angler is staying home.
—Don Wirth, Field & Stream, 4 Apr. 2024
There is a blizzard warning in effect until 8 p.m. Wednesday, after that, forecasters said, more snowfall is expected but will eventually taper off.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 3 Apr. 2024
End of carousel One state official likened it to preparing for a cross between a blizzard and a very big party.
—Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blizzard.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near blizzard
Cite this Entry
“Blizzard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blizzard. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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blizzard
noun
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