At least 10 people were killed by the unexpected blizzards

Nov 1, 2011 21:01 GMT  ·  By
Satellite image showing the extent of snow covering the entire northeastern part of the United States
   Satellite image showing the extent of snow covering the entire northeastern part of the United States

According to official statistics released by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), no less than 86 percent of the entire northeastern regions of the country were covered in as much as 4.4 inches (11 centimeters) of snow as of Monday morning, October 31.

Such a situation has never been encountered before in recorded history. October snows are extremely rare, and this may help explain why 10 people lost their lives to the unexpected weather events. In addition, up to 2.5 million Americans were left without electricity.

Heavy snow fell on leafs, forcing large branches to snap off trees and onto cars, power lines and so on. Western Massachusetts was hit especially hard, with several communities reporting precipitation levels of as much as 32 inches (81 centimeters), Our Amazing Planet reports.