MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why is a blizzard different from a snowstorm?

Heavy equipment driver working to push snow to the side of the streets after a blizzard

MUNDANE MYSTERIES: Why is a blizzard different from a snowstorm?

With all this snow on the ground it’s a good time to figure out the difference between a snowstorm and a blizzard.

Snowstorm: Can involve snow, sleet, ice, or freezing rain and usually has freezing temperatures. Snowstorms can be dangerous because of the driving conditions and hazardous elements.

Blizzard: Unlike the delicious treat from DQ a blizzard can be way more destructive than a snowstorm. To be classified as a blizzard, conditions need to involve three things. 1) Winds that are sustained at 35 miles per hour or more 2) snow that reduces visibility to a quarter-mile or less and 3) the conditions must be expected to last for at least three hours.

The storm we just had this week was actually a nor’easter. Which is when the storm comes from a low-pressure system originating in the Mid-Atlantic coast and gains strength as it moves towards the east coast.

 

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