Historical Insights The Great Blizzard of 1891

In March 1891, The Times reported on one of the most terrifying storms, saying “no such storm had visited the West of England within remembrance.” The Great Blizzard, as it came to be called, dropped huge amounts of snow across the West and the South, some places covered in snowdrifts over 15 feet high. The snow began falling on the afternoon of March 9, but by the second day, the light snowfall had turned into a gale and a blizzard. Thousands were shut in to their houses, and trains were buried on the tracks, trapping passengers for days. Along the coast and out to sea, 14 ships were sunk, crashing into the rocks and taking dozens of passengers and seamen into the icy waters to their deaths. Cornwall and Devon were cut off from the rest of Britain with the snow, making it difficult for help to arrive. After nearly four days, the snow stopped, and rescue crews were sent from the East to help dig out the cities and villages covered in snow.