Triskaidekaphobiacs know to fear March 13. That’s because some wicked snowstorms have occurred on this date.

Another is forecast to begin this evening. While the snow might not begin until after midnight, which would technically make it March 14, the ingredients are in place today for what is predicted to be a whopper.Forecasters are calling for 18 to 24 inches.The previous two mid-March disasters happened in 1993 and 1888.The Blizzard of 1993, called “The Storm of the Century,” dumped over 30 inches of snow in Kidder Township and 42 inches in Tobyhanna. Most of the area saw about 2 feet of snow.That storm complex was massive, affecting at least 26 states and much of Eastern Canada. It brought cold air, heavy precipitation, and hurricane force winds.So severe was the storm that even mail delivery was canceled.In rural areas, drifting was the main problem — as is projected to be a problem at the conclusion of tomorrow’s storm.Houses shook as the violent, whistling wind shot through with unyielding fury. Yet, very few people experienced power outages, telephone interruptions or cable TV problems.The Blizzard of 1888 was more severe, lasting for over two days and in some areas dumping 40 to 50 inches of snow. Winds howled at 45 mph with gusts much greater.Passenger trains became stuck in the drifts. People were confined to their homes for up to a week.More than 200 ships got stuck in ports, with many being wrecked.More than 400 fatalities were blamed for that storm.March in general can be an unforgiving month weather-wise.On March 19, 1958, a 21-inch snowfall occurred. That same storm dumped 36 inches in the Philadelphia area.Pennsylvania’s state record for March snowfall happened in 1999.For the month, 81.1 inches of snow fell on Mount Davis in Somerset County.