Knickerbocker Snowstorm Hits Washington, D.C

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Date: January 29, 1922

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Summary

The "Knickerbocker" snowstorm dumps over two feet of snow on the City of Washington. Government employees are sent home, as the city is enveloped by the blizzard. All downtown businesses and buildings close, including the National Museum. In the evening, hundreds of people are trapped in the Knickerbocker Theater when the roof collapses due to the weight of the snow. Over 100 people are killed and many more injured.

Category

Chronology of Smithsonian History

Notes

  • Image of South Yard behind the Smithsonian Castle after a snowstorm may be the Knickerbocker snowstorm. Image is from Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Box 30A, Folder 15.
  • "Hundreds, Dead or Injured, Buried Under Ruins, The Washington Post, January 29, 1922, p. 1

Contact information

Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Institution Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu

Date

January 29, 1922

Topic

  • Weather
  • Closings
  • Storms
  • Snow
  • Winter storms
  • Storm damage
  • Blizzards

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