'snowstorm' originates from the combination of 'snow' and 'storm', where 'snow' refers to frozen precipitation and 'storm' refers to a violent disturbance of the atmosphere.

'snowstorm' has been used in English since the 18th century, combining the words 'snow' and 'storm' to describe a weather phenomenon.

Initially, it meant 'a storm with snow', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.