The Biggest Snow Storms in History: The Most Epic Dumps from October to April

If you’ve ever been stuck in I-70 traffic or hiked out to a powder stash after a storm, you know big snow changes everything. Forget “snowfall accumulation” and “regional disruption” — we’re talking about face shots, refills, and storms so legendary they're still referenced by those who came before us. Here’s a month-by-month look at some of the heaviest dumps Mother Nature has ever dropped on us.

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October – The Season Teaser

~100 inches, High Sierra, CA (2004)
October storms in the Sierra and Rockies don’t mess around. Mammoth clocked around 100 inches in 2004 — yeah, in October. Early season riders got buried while the rest of us were still pulling boards out of the garage.

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November – Alaska Says “Hold My Beer”

230.5 inches, Thompson Pass, AK (1952)
Sure, the Lower 48 can get a decent November storm (Sierra Nevada’s seen 150+ inches), but Alaska went full send in 1952 with 230.5 inches. Thompson Pass basically turned into a snow globe — and November had just started.

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December – Crater Lake’s Powder Buffet

~240 inches, Crater Lake, OR (1996)
December ’96 was one for the books. Crater Lake racked up nearly 240 inches — that’s like riding a new resort built entirely out of snow. And while Oregon was getting buried, Texas of all places set a record with 26 inches in one day. Bet those folks didn’t even own a snow shovel.

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January – The All-Time King

390 inches, Tamarack, CA (1911)
January 1911 still holds the crown: 390 inches in one month. That’s 32 feet of snow. Imagine digging out your car, only to realize you don’t even remember where you parked it. The Sierra was basically one giant white wave.

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February – Mount Washington Goes Off

172.8 inches, Mount Washington, NH (1969)
The “100-Hour Storm” in ’69 dumped nearly 15 feet on New England. Mount Washington — already famous for trying to kill weather instruments — got blasted with 172.8 inches. Thunder snow, whiteouts, and drifts taller than houses. Skiing it? Unreal. Driving in it? Forget about it.

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March – Sierra Deepness

280 inches, Soda Springs, CA (2011)
March ’11 near Donner Summit was pure insanity — 280 inches in Soda Springs. On the East Coast, the infamous “Storm of the Century” back in ’93 buried the Appalachians and made snow days legendary. March is when the mountains remind us they’re not done yet.

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April – Colorado Goes Beast Mode

298 inches, Silver Lake, CO (1921)
Colorado holds the April title: almost 25 feet of snow in one month back in 1921. For perspective, the “April Fool’s Blizzard” of ’97 dumped three feet on the Northeast — but Silver Lake said, “That's Cute.”

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Why These Storms Still Matter

Every time we score a foot-plus overnight, we’re tapping into the same stoke these historic storms brought. From Mammoth to Mount Washington, from Donner Summit to the Rockies, these dumps aren’t just weather events — they’re the reason we wax boards, buy fat skis, and drop everything when the forecast calls for “epic.”

So here’s to the blizzards that shut down cities but opened up bottomless lines. May the next one land on a Saturday with blue skies on Sunday.