CentralNotice From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation , search Columbus Day Storm of 1962 Surface Analysis of the storm near its peak intensity [1] Type Extratropical cyclone Formed October 3, 1962 Dissipated October 17, 1962 Lowest pressure 960 hPa Maximum snowfall or ice accretion Unknown Damage $230 million (1962 dollars) Areas affected Pacific Northwest and British Columbia The Columbus Day Storm of 1962 (also known as the Big Blow , [2] and originally as Typhoon Freda ) was a Pacific Northwest windstorm , that struck the West Coast of Canada and the Pacific Northwest coast of the United States on October 12, 1962. It is considered the benchmark of extratropical wind storms. The storm ranks among the most intense to strike the region since at least 1948, likely since the January 9, 1880 " Great Gale " and snowstor...