National Weather Service
In 1886, the Great Kansas Blizzard struck with little warning. The blizzard actually raged from Iowa and Nebraska, then south across Kansas to Oklahoma and Texas. The astonishing event lasted NEARLY A WEEK. For much of this period, winds averaged around 40 mph and reduced visibilities to as low as 15 feet. In Kansas, an estimated 80 percent of the cattle perished with heavy losses in the other states. In Kansas, between 50 and 100 people froze to death, while 20 reportedly died in Iowa.
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Talk about 'fowl' weather. In 1988, it was especially 'fowl' for North Texas and much of Arkansas as a winter storm invaded the region. Heavy snow buried much of Arkansas with 10 to 15-inch accumulations. In North Central Arkansas, 16 inches overwhelmed Heber Springs, where around 3.5 million chickens died. In North Central Texas, ice and snow accumulations of 2 to 3 inches killed another 1.75 million chickens.
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In 1880, Seattle was hit by what really was their "Snowstorm of the Century." Actually, it was their worst snowstorm of all time as the historic event overwhelmed the Emerald City with around 4 feet of snow. Hundreds of barns were destroyed and all transportation was halted.