Meaning

noun a storm with widespread snowfall accompanied by strong winds

originFrom earlier snow-storm, snow storm, equivalent to snow + storm. Compare Scots snawstorm (“snowstorm”), Saterland Frisian Sneestoarm (“snowstorm”), West Frisian sniestoarm (“snowstorm”), Dutch sneeuwstorm (“snowstorm”), German Low German Sneestorm (“snowstorm”), German Schneesturm (“snowstorm”), Danish snestorm (“snowstorm”), Swedish snöstorm (“snowstorm”), Icelandic snjóstormur (“snowstorm”).…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0