Blizzard of January 1881
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 Blizzard at its height on 19 January. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 10 January 1881 [1] |
| Dissipated | 23 January [2] |
| Blizzard | |
| Lowest pressure | 985 [3] |
| Lowest temperature | −30.0 °C (−22.0 °F) |
| Maximum snowfall or ice accretion | 4 ft (120 cm): Dartmoor, United Kingdom [4] |
| Overall effects | |
| Casualties | 100 (estimated) |
| Areas affected | United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Netherlands |
The southern parts of the United Kingdom were hit by a severe blizzard from 17 to 20 January 1881.
On 17 January 1881,[5] a low pressure system rapidly developed in the English Channel. The snowfalls began on the 17th in the southwest and as the system deepened as it moved through the Channel, a gale force easterly developed over southern parts with heavy blizzards and drifting snow. The blizzard paralysed all transport, communication, trade and industries. Hundreds of miles of rail track were blocked by drifting snow, dozens of feet high in places. Even in central London, there were 3-foot drifts in places. Around 100 people are believed to have died as a result of the blizzard. The storm was accompanied by extreme cold.[citation needed]