New York During the Great Blizzard of 1888

While the northeast U.S. brace for a snowstorm today that is expected to leave two to three feet of snow, there are already comparisons with the record-setting storm of 1888.

The Great Blizzard of 1888 paralyzed the northeast U.S. Up to 60 inches of snow fell on New England, with snowdrifts up to 50 feet! The trains couldn’t run, and many people were stuck in their homes for a week. The effects of the storm in the cities of New York and Boston spurred urban planners to start work on underground communication lines and subways.

Check out a roundup of photographs from that blizzard at mental_floss.