Blizzards

Blizzards are the most severe winter storm, with blowing snow, high winds, and low temperatures. Different countries have different classification systems for blizzards. The U.S. National Weather Service categorizes a blizzard as a winter storm with sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 miles per hour or greater, and enough falling or blowing snow to frequently reduce visibility to less than a quarter of a mile. Temperatures are 20 degrees F or lower. These conditions prevail for at least three hours. A “severe” blizzard has winds of 45 miles per hour or greater and temperatures at 10 degrees F or below.

Blizzards are caused by extra-tropical storms that originate outside the tropics and dominate the weather in the mid-latitudes of the world from autumn to ...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles