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Blizzards: Not Always Linked To Major Winter Storms
February 15, 2022 at 07:54 AM EST
By WeatherBug Sr. Meteorologist, Chad Merrill
When a meteorologist uses the term “blizzard,” the public usually takes action and is well-prepared for what’s coming down the pike, but not all such storms produce crippling snow. As a matter of fact, it’s those storms with far less snow and howling winds that can catch travelers off guard.
The Blizzard of 2016, the Blizzard of 1996, the Blizzard of 1993 and the 1966 northern Plains blizzard are just four storms that probably ring a bell to many Eastern and Central U.S. natives. These storms produced heavy snow accumulation and significant snow drifts that paralyzed cities and states. Not all blizzards drop feet of snow and cripple cities but can be equally as dangerous to travelers.
By definition, certain criteria must be achieved in order for a winter storm to be classified as a blizzard. The wind or gusts must reach or exceed 35 mph for at least three hours and blowing snow must reduce visibility to less than one-quarter of a mile. Additionally, snow must be falling for the weather service to issue a Blizzard Warning, but there is no set criteria on total snowfall amounts expected. If these conditions look possible a day or two before the storm hits, the weather service will issue a Blizzard Watch while during the storm is most likely when it will be upgraded to a Blizzard Warning.
However, there doesn’t always have to be snow falling to be classified as a blizzard. These events, called ground blizzards, can be as big of a challenge for travelers as blizzards that drop feet of snow.
Ground blizzards are most common in the Midwest and northern Plains where there is little obstruction to the wind and snow is likely to be light and fluffy and thus susceptible to blowing and drifting. The most infamous ground blizzard occurred on January 12, 1888, in the eastern Dakotas, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa. Known as the Children’s Blizzard because many children died trying to make it home from school, the storm isolated the Black Hills because significant drifting made travel and communication impossible. More than 200 hundred people died in the Children’s Blizzard.
Most recently, vehicles were stuck in blizzard conditions on Interstate 94 between Barnesville and Rothsay, Minn., on February 11, 2022. Strong winds with gusts 40 to 60 mph reduced visibility to less than a quarter mile but there the storm produced no more than two inches of snow.
The typical setup for a ground blizzard features an Arctic cold front bringing rapidly falling temperatures and increasing winds to a region that already has a few inches of snow on the ground. The strong wind will be enough to whip the snow around enough to drop the visibility to less than a quarter of a mile. The weather service will issue a Ground Blizzard Warning when these conditions warrant.
However, lead times on these alerts are shorter than for Blizzard Watches and Warnings. This means motorists might not be prepared for sudden changes in visibility while driving along a highway and approaching a zone with high winds and blowing snow. January and February are usually the only months these conditions occur because Arctic air masses are the coldest during the second half of meteorological winter.
As we go forward through the remainder of February, keep close tabs on forecast wind gusts, temperatures along and behind Arctic fronts and if any snow is expected to accompany the system. If you have travel plans in the Plains and the weather pattern is favorable for a ground blizzard, you may want to consider alternative dates to reach your destination. As always, keep WeatherBug on your phone and computer active for the latest forecasts and winter weather alerts.
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Story Image: Skiers are seen braving blizzard conditions at a resort. (Courtesy of Pixabay.com)
The Blizzard of 2016, the Blizzard of 1996, the Blizzard of 1993 and the 1966 northern Plains blizzard are just four storms that probably ring a bell to many Eastern and Central U.S. natives. These storms produced heavy snow accumulation and significant snow drifts that paralyzed cities and states. Not all blizzards drop feet of snow and cripple cities but can be equally as dangerous to travelers.
By definition, certain criteria must be achieved in order for a winter storm to be classified as a blizzard. The wind or gusts must reach or exceed 35 mph for at least three hours and blowing snow must reduce visibility to less than one-quarter of a mile. Additionally, snow must be falling for the weather service to issue a Blizzard Warning, but there is no set criteria on total snowfall amounts expected. If these conditions look possible a day or two before the storm hits, the weather service will issue a Blizzard Watch while during the storm is most likely when it will be upgraded to a Blizzard Warning.
However, there doesn’t always have to be snow falling to be classified as a blizzard. These events, called ground blizzards, can be as big of a challenge for travelers as blizzards that drop feet of snow.
Ground blizzards are most common in the Midwest and northern Plains where there is little obstruction to the wind and snow is likely to be light and fluffy and thus susceptible to blowing and drifting. The most infamous ground blizzard occurred on January 12, 1888, in the eastern Dakotas, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa. Known as the Children’s Blizzard because many children died trying to make it home from school, the storm isolated the Black Hills because significant drifting made travel and communication impossible. More than 200 hundred people died in the Children’s Blizzard.
Most recently, vehicles were stuck in blizzard conditions on Interstate 94 between Barnesville and Rothsay, Minn., on February 11, 2022. Strong winds with gusts 40 to 60 mph reduced visibility to less than a quarter mile but there the storm produced no more than two inches of snow.
The typical setup for a ground blizzard features an Arctic cold front bringing rapidly falling temperatures and increasing winds to a region that already has a few inches of snow on the ground. The strong wind will be enough to whip the snow around enough to drop the visibility to less than a quarter of a mile. The weather service will issue a Ground Blizzard Warning when these conditions warrant.
However, lead times on these alerts are shorter than for Blizzard Watches and Warnings. This means motorists might not be prepared for sudden changes in visibility while driving along a highway and approaching a zone with high winds and blowing snow. January and February are usually the only months these conditions occur because Arctic air masses are the coldest during the second half of meteorological winter.
As we go forward through the remainder of February, keep close tabs on forecast wind gusts, temperatures along and behind Arctic fronts and if any snow is expected to accompany the system. If you have travel plans in the Plains and the weather pattern is favorable for a ground blizzard, you may want to consider alternative dates to reach your destination. As always, keep WeatherBug on your phone and computer active for the latest forecasts and winter weather alerts.
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Story Image: Skiers are seen braving blizzard conditions at a resort. (Courtesy of Pixabay.com)