On January 6, 1996, snow begins falling in Washington, D.C., and up the Eastern seaboard, beginning a blizzard that kills 154 people and causes over $1 billion in damages before it ends.
The Blizzard of 1996 began in typical fashion, as cold air from Canada pushed down and collided with relatively warm winds from the Gulf of Mexico. The clashing weather fronts caused a terrible combination of snow and wind. Snow began to fall in the District of Columbia about 9 p.m.; 12 inches fell over the course of the next 24 hours. In Lynchburg, Virginia, it was worse: A record 20 inches of snow fell in a single day. Since wind gusts were reaching up to 50 miles per hour, snow drifts piled up in many areas and travel was nearly impossible.
