A pair of low pressure systems are primed to bring a wallop to millions traveling for the Christmas holiday this year, especially in the Great Lakes and Northeast.

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(MORE: Potential Christmas Week Storms May Bring Snow, Travel Headaches)

As you get ready to sit around the Christmas tree and  perhaps share horror stories of holiday travels past, check out a few historical storms that may put this year's weather into perspective.

Dec. 25, 2012: Christmas Severe Weather Outbreak in the Coastal South

Severe thunderstorms raked across the Deep South on Christmas Day 2012 in what was the most prolific Christmas Day tornado outbreak on record in the U.S.

The National Weather Service confirmed at least 28 Christmas Day tornadoes from this outbreak. An additional two tornado reports were received from the day after Christmas in eastern North Carolina.

The outbreak included a dramatic wedge tornado that tore across parts of Mobile, Alabama, just five days after the city had been struck by another EF1 tornado.

Two EF3 tornadoes were confirmed, one traveling 61 miles from Pearl River County, Mississippi, to Greene County, Mississippi. This tornado injured injured eight people and destroyed 22 homes. The other EF3 tornado touched down in Houston County, Texas. Only one other tornado on record has been rated this strong on Christmas Day.

(MORE: Christmas 2012 Severe Weather Outbreak Tornado and Storm Reports)

Miraculously, nobody died as a direct result of the tornadoes, though at least two people lost their lives to falling trees in non-tornadic winds.

Dating to 1950, these are the only Christmas Day tornadoes on record in both Mississippi and Alabama. This marked the first time on record Mobile was hit by two different tornadoes in a span of less than one week. 

According to Dr. Greg Forbes, severe weather expert for The Weather Channel, dating to 1950, prior to Christmas 2012:

• Christmas Days with tornadoes somewhere in the U.S.:  8
• Total Christmas Day U.S. tornadoes:  32 tornadoes in 6 states (La., Tenn., Ga., Fla., N.C., W.V.)
• Largest Christmas Day outbreak:  12 tornadoes in Fla., Ga., La. in 1969
• Costliest Christmas Day outbreak:  $33 million in 2006
• Only deadly tornado:  1969 (Louisiana)

(MORE: Tornado Safety - How to Stay Safe During the Storm)

Dec. 25-26, 2012: Winter Storm Euclid Blankets Arkansas in Snow

The Christmas 2012 severe weather outbreak was part of Winter Storm Euclid, which also brought a white Christmas to the Southern Plains states. In Amarillo, Texas, it was the second white Christmas in a row — the first back-to-back white Christmases since the 19th century. It was the first Christmas Day measurable snow in Little Rock, Arkansas, (9") since 1939.

Not only did it snow in the South on Christmas, in some places, it snowed a lot. Up to 8 inches of snow fell as far south as northeast Texas, and Jessieville, Arkansas, recorded an impressive 15 inches by the next morning. Blizzard conditions paralyzed parts of the Natural State before the storm went on to dump snow on more traditionally snowy cities in the Midwest and Northeast.

Some of the more impressive snowstorm reports we received includde:

• Jonesboro, Arkansas:  Vehicles stranded in 2-3 foot drifts.  Peak wind gust to 48 mph early Wednesday morning.
• Blytheville, Arkansas:  Vehicles in ditches on Interstate 55.  Peak wind gust to 41 mph.
• Near Mt. Vernon, Indiana:  Vehicles stuck in 3-4 foot drifts

(MORE: Winter Storm Euclid Recap)

Dec. 25-27, 2010: Christmas Blizzard

On the one hand, this storm was somewhat welcomed in the South. As much as 2 inches fell in the Atlanta city limits, producing the city's first measurable snow – and first white Christmas – since 1881. Further north, as much as 3 to 7 inches of snow fell throughout northern Georgia. Millions enjoyed the cozy scene, but overnight lows fell well below freezing, resulting in numerous road issues.

A few days later, the storm became much more extreme, especially in the Northeast.

From Dec. 26-27, the center of the low moved east and lined up along the Eastern Seaboard, right over the Gulf Stream. The warm, moist air associated with the Gulf Stream allowed the low pressure system to strengthen as it moved north into the Mid-Atlantic and then into New England.

The National Weather Service notes that the blizzard dumped as much as 20 to 30 inches of snow through New York City and northeast New Jersey, all while producing sustained winds of 25 to 40 mph with gusts in excess of 60 mph throughout the area. Whiteout conditions, including blowing and drifiting snow, made travel in the heavily populated Northeast extremely difficult – if not impossible – on Dec. 26.

Click here for a complete analysis of this event by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in New York.

2009 Oklahoma's Christmas Eve Blizzard

Rain changed quickly from sleet to snow, and the National Weather Service says the storm produced the most widespread blizzard conditions to affect the Oklahoma and western Texas area in decades.

As much as 4 to 8 inches of snow fell across the Wichita Falls, Texas, to Oklahoma City and Stillwater, Oklahoma, metro areas. Pockets of 10 inches fell in Oklahoma City and Wichita Falls, setting the record for the most snow ever recorded in a single day in those cities.

Coupled with sustained wind speeds of 40 mph, with gusts as high as 60 mph, whiteout conditions dropped visibility to less than 100 feet. As a result, many trying to travel during the blizzard abandonded their vehicles. In Oklahoma, at least nine people died in accidents related to the blizzard, and hundreds more sustained injuries. Interstates 35, 40 and 44, as well as the turnpikes, numerous roads and highways were shut down during the height of the storm.

2004 Christmas Eve Snowstorm

The 2004 Christmas Eve snowstorm impacted several states, including the Northeast. Most notably, though, is the storm's impact on the South, including southern Texas.

In fact, a record 4.4 inches of snow fell within 24 hours at the Corpus Christi International Airport, which broke the previous 24-hour snowfall record that was set on Feb. 14, 1895. The snowfall accumulations began on December 24 (2.3 inches) and continued through December 25 (2.1 inches).

In Victoria, Texas, as much as 12.5 inches of snow was officially recorded during this event, making 2004 the first known white Christmas for the Victoria area.

Measurable snow fell as far south as Houston, Texas, where 1 inch of snow was recorded. Brownsville, Texas also picked up 1 inch of snow.

Worst Christmas Weather "Honorable Mentions"

Christmas Eve

- As many as eight killer tornadoes have struck on Christmas Eve: 1988, 1982 (two tornadoes), 1945, 1921 (three tornadoes)
- An F4 tornado hit Franklin, Tennesse, in 1988, killing one person and injuring seven. It struck at about 6 a.m., and it was the only tornado of that day.
- F4 tornadoes hit in 1982, during the largest Christmas Eve tornado outbreak since 1950 and prior to 2012. As many as 27 tornadoes hit Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi, and Oklahoma, killing three and injuring 43. It was the deadliest Christmas Eve tornado day since 1950.
- There have been four deadly Christmas Eve tornado days on record: 1982, 1988, 1945, 1921
- As many as eight killer tornadoes have struck on Christmas Eve: 1988, 1982(3), 1945, 1921(3)
- The deadliest Christmas Eve tornado day was in 1921 with 14 killed in Louisiana and Mississippi from three killer tornadoes.
- Number of Christmas eve tornadoes 1950-2013 by state: TX(3), LA(19), MS(4), AL(12), FL(6), GA(13), TN(1), MO(8), AR(17), OK(2), SC(1)

Christmas Day

- Christmas day has seen tornadoes about once per seven years in the U.S. (9 days 1950-2013): 2012, 2006, 1982, 1977, 1975, 1974, 1973, 1969, 1964
- The last Christmas with tornadoes struck Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama in 2012; previously there were tornadoes in Florida and Georgia in 2006 and Tennessee in 1982
- The only deadly tornado was in Louisiana in 1969
- The largest outbreak since 1950 was 30 tornadoes in the Gulf Coast states in 2012; previously it had been 12 tornadoes in 1969, hitting Florida, Georgia and Louisiana
- The costliest tornado outbreak since 1950 was the $33 million event in 2006; before that, as many as seven tornadoes (including one near Nashville, Tennessee) caused $5.6 million in damage in 1964.
- Christmas day tornadoes 1950-2013: FL(19), GA(6), TN(2), NC(1), LA(8), WV(1), TX(2), MS(5), AL(17)
- As many as five tornadoes struck Florida in 2006; four were rated F2, but no fatalities were reported. One tornado traveled into Georgia.
- The only significant (F2 or stronger or killer) tornado record available before 1950: 1941, one significant tornado in Louisiana was rated an F2; nobody was killed.

Data courtesy of The Weather Channel severe weather expert Dr. Greg Forbes.