Snowy street scenes from Washington DC's huge blizzard in 1922

January 1922: Big blizzard cuts off Washington and South

DC buried under worst snow since 1899

The states comprising the Middle Atlantic section were today buried, and were being further buried under the heaviest snowfall since the long-remembered blizzard of February 1899.

The storm, which began with almost unprecedented falls of snow in the Carolinas and Virginia Thursday, was creeping up the coast, leaving buried cities, stalled trains, disturbed trolley service and a general suspension of business and social activities in its wake.

The blanket of snow was heaviest today in the District of Columbia, with the fall recorded at 10 o’clock as an even two feet. At that time, it was still snowing and the Weather Bureau prediction was for a continuation of the fall through the day and into the night.

Washington DC 1922 snow blizzard storm (1)

Starting shortly before dusk yesterday evening, the snow fell continuously through the night, and by midnight, railroads and trolley lines began to surrender. From midnight until 9 o’clock this morning, no trains left the capital, and only three from New York and one from the West arrived.

Thoroughfares were strewn with abandoned automobiles. The flakes fell so thick and fast that numerous accidents were reported and the police received several calls for aid to find persons believe to have lost their way in finding their homes.

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One boy had gone astray in the blinding storm; many automobile crashes were reported, and eleven persons were injured in accidents.