snowstorm

What it means

1. Bad weather involving blowing winds and snow, or blowing winds and heavy snowfall amount.

   Dined at Melville Castle, whither I went through a snow-storm.

   1826 November 28 (date written), Walter Scott, “[Entry dated 28 November 1826]”, in David Douglas, editor, The Journal of Sir Walter Scott […], volume I, Edinburgh: David Douglas, published 1890, →OCLC, page 24

   Synonyms: blizzard

2. A snow globe.

   As we made our way down, my eye was caught by a snowstorm—one of those little glass balls, with a baby cottage inside.

   1947, Dornford Yates, The Berry Scene, Ward, Lock & Co., 273

   Synonyms: snowdome, snow globe

In a sentence

Dined at Melville Castle, whither I went through a snow-storm.

1826 November 28 (date written), Walter Scott, “[Entry dated 28 November 1826]”, in David Douglas, editor, The Journal of Sir Walter Scott […], volume I, Edinburgh: David Douglas, published 1890, →OCLC, page 24

Where it comes from

From 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”). Compare also Middle English storm of snow (“snowstorm”).