Severe snowstorms with heavy snow, strong winds, and very poor visibility lasting for several hours or longer.
Possibly from German 'blitz' meaning lightning or a quick strike, though the connection is debated; first appeared in American English in the 1880s as a term for violent winter storms.
The word 'blizzard' might come from 'blitz' (lightning in German), suggesting early Americans felt these storms hit as suddenly and violently as lightning strikes—capturing the terror of getting caught in a Great Plains whiteout.
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