In March of 1888, two massive weather systems converged on the northeastern United States, bringing gale-force winds, heavy snows, and subzero weather, and catching a nation unaware. The ensuing blizzard killed hundreds of people. Drawing on extensive newspaper articles, histories of the period, and archived letters and journals, Murphy writes of the storm through the experiences of a number of individuals, personalizing the account with their triumphs and tragedies, as well as providing background covering the political and social conditions of the time. Archival photographs and original art from the period reinforce the historical setting. An explanatory chapter on sources and an index close the book. - Publisher.