Then the Big Storm Hit!

Two days after the first major snow fall, on 2008-12-19, a massive low-pressure system that originated in Western Texas and New Mexico some 2,000 km (1,240 miles) southwest of the Great Lakes system travelled up northeastward, bringing the warm and moise air from the American South up the continent.

The warm and moise air slammed into the cold arctic air around the Great Lakes region and created a very windy and snowy (also called a blizzard) condition. The snowstorm packed winds of 70 km/ hour and heavy snowfall on 2008-12-19 all day long. The storm dumped huge amount of snow in Chicago, Niagara Falls, Hamilton, Toronto and New York City. More than a thousand flights were cancelled or delayed in the region. In Toronto alone, almost 300 car accidents happened in one day, thankfully with no serious casualties.