(mark peters) Originally, “blizzard” involved no snow, wind chill, or wintry conditions at all. The Oxford English Dictionary records it as an early 18th century word for a sharp, violent blow, first found in 1829. As is often the case, the origin is unclear; it probably has some relation to words like “blow,” “blast,” “blister,” and “bluster.” The Century Dictionary suggests it’s an alteration of “blazer” and provides a definition a little more in tune with the current sense: “A general discharge of guns; a rattling volley; a general; blazing away’.” The Century also notes that “blizzard” meant verbal as well as physical violence: “Figuratively, a volley; a sudden (oratorical) attack; an overwhelming retort.” That seems to be the meaning here: “A gentleman at dinner asked me for a toast; and supposing he meant to have some fun at my expense, I concluded to go ahead, and give him and his likes a blizzard” (1834). The current meaning started to emerge as early as 1859, but it took the nasty winter of 1880 and 1881 to establish “blizzard” as a common word for a storm. The severity of that season is discussed in Herbert Samuel Schell’s History of South Dakota: “The winter of 1880-1881 often has been called ‘the hard winter.’ A blizzard occurred as early as October, and although most of this early snow disappeared, heavy precipitation throughout the winter resulted in an accumulation of more than eleven feet of snow in many communities.” Yeesh! Even on the ice planet Hoth, eleven feet would get your attention.

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