Snowmaggedon, officially known as the North American Snowstorm happened 15 years ago on February 5 and 6, 2010. The blizzard had major and widespread impact on the East Coast. To add insult to injury, a second storm struck the area February 9 and 10.
The first storm was initially identified as it crossed Baja California Sur on February 2, moving east through Mexico on February 3. The center then crossed Texas and entered the Louisiana Gulf Coast. At the same time, a second, more-northern storm began to track from the central Rockies to the lower Missouri River Valley. On February 5, the systems merged and soon the storm intensified quickly.
An upper-level ridge over the Maritime Provinces in Canada caused the storm to slow east of Virginia Beach before it moved east, leading to the heaviest snowfall in 
Maryland and Delaware. This was unusual as storms of this type normally tracked northward into New England, but with the Canadian front blocking it and the storm slowing, Delmarva felt the full brunt of the storm.
Snow began falling just after dark on Friday, February 5. By 7 PM, roads were already becoming dangerous. Snow continued throughout the day on Saturday and, by the time it ended, an average of 22 inches of snow had fallen in the Milford area. Wind accompanied the snow, causing white out conditions. It also caused power outages across the area as power lines fell in the wind. It was also Super Bowl weekend, and the weather cancelled many celebrations that weekend.
Mother Nature was not finished with Delmarva, however. On February 9 and 10, a second blizzard crossed the area. The storm, an Alberta Clipper, started out in Canada and moved southeast, curving northeast while rapidly intensifying off the New Jersey coast, actually forming an eye.
In this storm, winds topped 58 miles per hour and 40 mile per hour wind gusts were common. On top of the more than 20 inches of snow on the ground, this storm added another 10 to 15 inches. Almost 400 members of the Delaware National Guard were activated and more than 150 guard vehicles used to rescue stranded motorists.
A third blizzard threatened between February 25 and 27 but shifted north into New England. Snow continued to be a problem into March as piles of snow piled in parking lots blocked entrances that were usually needed in spring and summer. Road crews had no place to put the snow in February, leading them to pile it in parking lots. The snow piles remained well into March. Snowmaggedon cost $8.8 million with more than $6.7 million in snow removal alone.
