Nicholas Lisi | The Post-Standard

25 worst snowstorms in the Northeast in the past 60 years

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ranks Northeast snowstorms just like it ranks hurricanes. The Northeast Snowfall Impact Scale, devised in 2004, ranks storms by the biggest impact on the greatest number of people. The five categories are notable, significant, major, crippling and extreme. Here are the NOAA maps for the worst 25 storms since 1956.

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NOAA

No. 25: Feb 17-19, 1979

Known as the President's Day storm of 1979, this one dumped snow on Baltimore and Washington, D.C., at a rate of up to 5 inches an hour.

Ranking: Major. NESIS: 4.77

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NOAA

No. 24: Dec. 24 to Dec. 28, 2010

More than 6,000 flights were canceled at East Coast airports, and all three New York City area airports were shut down at the same time.

Ranking: Major. NESIS: 4.92

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Dennis Nett

No. 23:; March 12-15, 2017

A big nor'easter dumped snow from West Virginia to Maine, saving its biggest amounts for Upstate New York, where up to 4 feet fell in a single day. Syracuse got 2 feet, enough to postpone the first round NIT game of the Syracuse University men's basketball game.

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NOAA

No. 22: Feb. 11-14, 2014

Tree damage from this storm in South Carolina was as bad as that from Hurricane Hugo in 1989, and ice accumulations reached 1.5 inches in parts of the state.

Ranking: Major. NESIS: 5.28

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NOAA

No. 21: Feb. 1-3, 2011

Winter storm warnings were in effect from New Mexico to Maine, and winds reached 70 mph in Chicago.

Ranking: Major. NSEIS: 5.3

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NOAA

No. 20: Jan. 9-13, 2011

Snowfall totals were relatively low across many Eastern cities, but the snow was so heavy it caused traffic gridlock and widespread power outages. New York City had 20 inches, setting a January snow record.

Ranking: Major. NESIS: 5.3

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Glenn Coin | gcoin@syracuse.com

No. 19: Feb. 8-12, 1994

Southern Maryland was hit with 1 to 3 inches of ice; an estimated 90 percent of people lost power and telephone service, some for up to a week.

Ranking: Major. NSEIS: 5.39

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NOAA

No. 18: Jan. 21-23, 1987

As much as 14 inches of snow fell in the south; Atlanta's Hartfield Airport, the busiest in the country, was shut down for hours.

Ranking: Major. NESIS: 5.4

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NOAA

No. 17: Jan. 29 - Feb. 3, 2015

This storm swept across the Upper Midwest and the Great Lakes before reaching the Northeast; it dumped snow from Iowa to Maine. More than 10 inches fell in Chicago and Detroit.

Ranking: Major. NESIS: 5.42

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NOAA

No. 16: Feb. 23-28, 2010

The storm dumped more than 30 inches of snow in parts of Upstate New York. Pennsylvania closed all of six major interstate highways. Heavy rains and winds up to 90 mph caused damage and flooding in New England.

Ranking: Major. NESIS: 5.46

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NOAA

No. 15: Feb. 12-15, 2007

The "Valentine's Day Blizzard" dropped heavy snow on Upstate New York and Vermont. Burlington set a 24-hour snowfall record with 25.3 inches. In Pennsylvania, a consultant hired by the state said the snow and freezing rain were "disastrous."

Ranking: Major. NESIS: 5.63

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NOAA

No. 14: Feb. 5-7, 1978

Wind gusts of 79 mph and more than 2 feet of snow slammed Boston, where the National Guard cleared snow and abandoned cars. Schools were closed for more than a week, and parts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts were declared disaster areas.

Ranking: Major. NESIS: 5.78

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NOAA

No. 13: Jan. 29-31, 1966

The worst of the Blizzard of '66 hit Upstate New York. An astounding 102.4 inches of snow fell in Oswego. In Syracuse, 42 inches of snow paralyzed the city, and 126 travelers (and one Siamese cat) were forced to spend the night in the War Memorial.

Ranking: Major. NESIS: 5.93.

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NOAA

No. 12: Feb. 14-17, 1958

Boston got hit with a record-breaking 19.4 inches of snow, just weeks after another major storm. The storm was blamed for 43 deaths and $500 million in damages.

Ranking: Crippling. NESIS: 6.25

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No. 11: Feb. 10-12, 1983

During the so-called "Megalopolitan Blizzard," hundreds of drivers abandoned their cars on the Staten Island Expressway. In Baltimore, downtown hotels were full of stranded commuters, and restaurants ran out of food.

Ranking: Crippling. NESIS: 6.25

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NOAA

No. 10: Dec. 25-28, 1969

The infamous Christmas storm was blamed for 20 deaths in the Northeast and 15 in Quebec. It brought heavy snow to some areas, several inches of ice to others, and flooding in eastern New England.

Ranking: Crippling. NESIS: 6.29

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NOAA

No. 9: Jan. 19-21, 1978

This no'easter was "the most crippling snowstorm in the Northeast since 1969," the National Weather Service said, and dumped nearly 30 inches of snow in West Virginia and western Maryland.

Ranking: Crippling. NESIS: 6.54

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NOAA

No. 8: Jan. 21-24, 2005

Boston, Providence and other cities set back-to-back daily records for most snowfall. Salem and Plymouth, Mass., each had a total of 38 inches. Wind gusts hit 84 mph on Cape Cod, and pushed drifts up to seven feet high.

Ranking: Crippling. NESIS: 6.8

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NOAA

No. 7: Jan. 11-14, 1964

The storm dumped more than 20 inches of snow across southeastern New York State and central Pennsylvania. Williamsport, Pa., known as the birthplace of Little League baseball, set a one-day snow record of 19.6 inches that stands today.

Ranking: Crippling. NESIS: 6.91

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No. 6: Feb. 2-5, 1961

More than 17 inches of snow fell in 28 hours in New York City, where all but essential traffic was ordered off the streets. It was the city's fifth big snowfall in the "worst winter in history," one newspaper account said.

Ranking: Crippling. NESIS: 7.06

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No. 5: Feb. 15-18, 2003

More than 20 people died from Nebraska to New Jersey in February 2003. Two inches of snow per hour fell at JFK airport.

Ranking: Crippling. NESIS: 7.5

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NOAA

No. 4: Jan. 22-24, 2016

Fourteen states got at least a foot of snow in the January 2016 storm. Baltimore had 29 inches. The storm affected more than 100 million people in one of the country's most populated regions.

Ranking: Crippling. NESIS: 7.66

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NOAA

No. 3: March 2-5, 1960

Snow fell from Kentucky to Maine; New York City was hit so hard that thousands of commuters had to stay in Manhattan hotels because they couldn't make it home.

Ranking: Crippling. NESIS: 8.77

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No. 2: Jan. 6-8, 1996

The Blizzard of 1996 was a raging nor'easter followed by an Alberta clipper, followed by torrential rains that caused flooding along the East Coast.

Ranking: Extreme. NESIS: 11.78

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No. 1: March 12-14, 1993

This is the granddaddy of all Northeast storms. Syracuse set eight records, including the most snow on record in 24 hours: 35.6 inches. The Syracuse airport was closed, and the Carrier Dome was deflated.

Ranking: Extreme. NESIS: 13.2

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Dick Blume | The Post-Standard

Check out more photos of the biggest blizzard of them all, the storm of 1993.