Eastern Canadian blizzard of March 1971
|name=. Remove this parameter; the article title is used as the name by default.Weather map of the storm on March 4, 1971 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | March 3, 1971 |
| Dissipated | March 5, 1971 |
| Category 4 "Crippling" blizzard | |
| Regional snowfall index: 10.18 (NOAA) | |
| Lowest pressure | 966 mb (28.5 inHg) |
| Maximum snowfall or ice accretion | 32.1 inches (82 cm) of snow in Mont Apica, Quebec |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | at least 30 |
| Damage | at least $1 million |
| Areas affected | Eastern North America |
The Eastern Canadian blizzard of March 1971 was a severe winter storm that struck portions of eastern Canada from March 3 to March 5, 1971. The storm was also nicknamed the "Storm of the Century" in Quebec. The event included the worst 24-hour snowfall on record in the city of Montreal with 43 centimetres (16.9 inches) of snow falling on March 4, for a total of 47 centimetres (18.5 inches), until the one-day record was broken again on December 27, 2012. Higher terrain in eastern Quebec received as much as 80 centimetres (31.5 inches). Heavy snowfall was also recorded in eastern Ontario and northern New Brunswick as well as parts of the Northeastern United States. The storm itself was responsible for the deaths of 17 people in Montreal (30 province-wide) along with numerous other injuries directly and indirectly attributed to the blizzard.