Around 47 million Americans were under a severe weather watch Wednesday as a winter storm threatened to pelt Kentucky, the Ohio Valley and southern Plains with ice and record-setting snow before moving toward New York City and Washington, D.C.
Heavy rain was forecast to freeze as what is expected to be the last major system of the winter moved toward the East Coast after pounding the Rockies and northern Texas on Tuesday.
In Kentucky, rain heavy enough to cause flooding was expected to turn into snowfall of up to 10 inches late Wednesday — five times the average March snow for Louisville and just short of the all-time March record of 12 inches…
See 11 of the Worst Winter Storms in U.S. History
The Blizzard of 1888 (March 11-12, 1888) This late-in-the-season snowstorm devastated much of the East Coast, incapacitating New York City, Boston, Washington and Philadelphia with up to 50 inches of snow. Here, carts haul excess snow and ice from city streets for dumping in the East River in New York City.
Buyenlarge/Getty Images
The Knickerbocker Storm (Jan. 27-28, 1922) This snowstorm lasted for two days and a accumulated a regional record of 28-inches of snow. And it got its name after the famous Knickerbocker Theater, whose roof collapsed under the weight of the snow, with Washingtonians still inside watching a film. The disaster claimed 98 lives and is still one of Washington's deadliest snow storms.
Buyenlarge/Getty Images
The Great Midwest Blizzard (Jan. 26-27, 1967) This blizzard raged from the Ohio Valley down to New Mexico. It still holds Chicago's record for heaviest snow fall in 24 hours (23 inches) and resulted in the deaths of 76 people.
Robert Abbott Sengstacke—Getty Images
The Post Christmas Storm of 1969 (Dec. 25-28, 1969) Up to 2-3 feet of snow accumulated in New England and upstate New York. Here, kids skate while their dog plays on the snow-covered ground at Argyle Pond in Babylon, New York, Dec. 25, 1969.
Gordon Rynders—New York Daily News Archive/Getty Images
The Blizzard of 1978 (Feb. 5-7 1978) Hurricane-force winds, up to 90mph, and snow totals of up to 3 feet defined this blizzard. Here, Roy Sodersjerna of Higham, Mass. suns himself on the hood of his car, which is stuck in the snow on Massachusetts Route 128 in Dedham, Mass. on Feb. 9, 1978.
AP
The Superstorm of 1993 (March 12-13, 1993) This storm caused nearly 300 deaths, with New York state recording over 40 inches of snow.
Paul Hurschmann—AP
The Blizzard of 1996 (Jan. 6-9, 1996) The mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions received 2-3 feet of snow, with Philadelphia accumulating 30.7 inches - its highest snowfall record to date.
Susan Watts—New York Daily News Archive/Getty Images
The Blizzard of 2005 (Jan. 20-24, 2005) Snowfall blanketed the Northeast, with areas around Boston reporting 3-5 inches of snowfall per hour and totalling 43 inches. Here, Sam Germaine walks past the frozen entrance to his home in Hull, Mass. on Jan. 25, 2005.
STEVEN SENNE—AP
The Post-Christmas Storm of 2010 (Dec. 25-28, 2010) New York City received over 20 inches of snowfall. Here, a man digs out his car in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City on Dec. 27, 2010.
Chris McGrath—Getty Images
The Groundhog Day Blizzard (Feb. 1-2, 2011) Many cities throughout the midwest and Northeast received 1-2 feet of snow and some even declared states of emergency. Here, University of Iowa student Andrew Uhe uses a cookie sheet to sled down the hill behind Lincoln Elementary School in Iowa City on Feb. 2, 2011.
Chip Somodevilla—Getty Images
Blizzard in Buffalo (Nov. 18-20, 2014) Over six feet of snow descended on Buffalo, N.Y. and its suburbs, paralyzing the area. Over 100 people were stranded and at least six people died.
Derek Gee—The Buffalo News/AP
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