Winter storm
Encyclopedia
A winter storm is an event in which the dominant varieties of precipitation
are formed that only occur at low temperature
s, such as snow
or sleet
, or a rainstorm where ground temperatures are low enough to allow ice
to form (i.e. freezing rain
). In temperate continental climate
s, these storms are not necessarily restricted to the winter season, but may occur in the late autumn and early spring as well. Very rarely, they may form in summer, though it would have to be an abnormally cold summer, such as the summer of 1816
in the Northeast United States of America
.
Snowstorms are storms where large amounts of snow fall. Snow
is less dense than liquid
water, by a factor of approximately 10 at temperatures slightly below freezing, and even more at much colder temperatures. Therefore, an amount of water that would produce 0.8 in. (2 cm.) of rain could produce at least 8 in (20 cm) of snow. Two inches of snow (5 cm.) is enough to create serious disruptions to traffic
and school transport (because of the difficulty to drive and maneuver the school buses on slick roads). This is particularly true in places where snowfall is uncommon but heavy accumulating snowfalls can happen (e.g., Dallas
, Atlanta
, Seattle
, London
, Dublin, Canberra
, Vancouver
and Las Vegas
). In places where snowfall is common, such as Utica
, Detroit, Denver, Ottawa
, Montreal
, Quebec City
, Chicago
, Syracuse, Buffalo
, Columbus
, Pittsburgh, Toronto
and Minneapolis, such small snowfalls are rarely disruptive, because of effective snow and ice removal by municipalities, greater usage of snow tires
and drivers being more accustomed to winter conditions. Snowfalls in excess of 6 in (15 cm) are usually universally disruptive.
A massive snowstorm with strong winds and other conditions meeting certain criteria is known as a blizzard
. A large number of heavy snowstorms, some of which were blizzards, occurred in the United States
during 1888
and 1947 as well as the early and mid-1990s. The snowfall of 1947 exceeded two feet with drifts and snow piles from plowing that reached twelve feet and for months, temperatures did not rise high enough to melt the snow. The 1993 "Superstorm"
was manifest as a blizzard in most of the affected area.
Large snowstorms could be quite dangerous: a 6 in. (15 cm.) snowstorm will make some unplowed roads impassable, and it is possible for automobiles to get stuck in the snow. Snowstorms exceeding 12 in (30 cm) especially in southern or generally warm climates will cave the roof
s of some homes and cause the loss of power. Standing dead trees can also be brought down by the weight of the snow, especially if it is wet or very dense. Even a few inches of dry snow can form drifts many feet high under windy conditions.
snowstorms can produce cornice
s and avalanche
s. An additional danger, following a snowy winter, is spring flood
ing if the snow melts suddenly due to a dramatic rise in air temperature. Deaths can occur from hypothermia, infections brought on by frostbite or car accidents due to slippery roads. Fires and carbon monoxide poisoning can occur after a storm causes a power outage
. Large amounts of snow can also significantly reduce visibility in the area, a phenomenon known as a whiteout
; this can be very dangerous to those who are in a densely populated area, as the whiteout can cause major accidents on the road or while flying. There is also several cases of heart attack
s caused by overexertion while shoveling heavy wet snow. It is difficult to predict what form this precipitation will take, and it may alternate between rain
and snow
. Therefore, weather forecasters just predict a "wintry mix". Usually, this type of precipitation occurs at temperatures between -2 °C and 2 °C (27 °F and 36 °F).
Heavy showers of freezing rain
are one of the most dangerous types of winter storm. They typically occur when a layer of warm air hovers over a region, but the ambient temperature a few meters above the ground is near or below 0 °C (32 °F), and the ground temperature is sub-freezing.
While a 10 cm (4 in) snowstorm is somewhat manageable by the standards of the northern United States
and Canada
, a comparable 1 cm (0.4 in) ice storm will paralyze a region: driving becomes extremely hazardous, telephone and power lines are damaged, and crops may be ruined. Because they do not require extreme cold, ice storms often occur in warm temperature climates (such as the southern United States) and cooler ones. Ice storms in Florida
will often destroy entire orange
crops.
Notable ice storms include an El Niño-related North American ice storm of 1998
that affected much of eastern Canada, including Montreal
and Ottawa
, as well as upstate New York
and part of New England
. Three million people lost power, some for as long as six weeks. One-third of the trees in Montreal's Mount Royal
park were damaged, as well as a large proportion of the sugar
-producing maple
trees. The amount of economic damage caused by the storm has been estimated at $3 billion Canadian
.
The Ice Storm of December 2002 in North Carolina
resulted in massive power loss throughout much of the state, and property damage due to falling trees. Except in the mountainous western part of the state, heavy snow and icy conditions are rare in North Carolina
.
The Ice Storm of December 2005
was another severe winter storm producing extensive ice damage across a large portion of the Southern United States on December 14 to 16. It led to power outages and at least 7 deaths.
In January 2005 Kansas
had been declared a major disaster zone by President George W. Bush
after an ice storm caused nearly $39 million in damages to 32 counties. Federal funds were provided to the counties during January 4–6, 2005 to aid the recovery process.
The January 2009 Central Plains and Midwest ice storm
was a crippling and historic ice storm. Most places struck by the storm, saw 2 inches (50.8 mm) or more of ice accumulation, and a few of inches of snow on top it. This brought down power lines, causing some people to go without power for a few days, to a few weeks. In some cases, some didn't see power for a month or more. At the height of the storm, more than 2 million people were without power.
Precipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
are formed that only occur at low temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
s, such as snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
or sleet
Rain and snow mixed
Rain and snow mixed is precipitation composed of rain and partially melted snow. This precipitation can occur where the temperature in the lower part of the atmosphere is slightly above the freezing point...
, or a rainstorm where ground temperatures are low enough to allow ice
Ice
Ice is water frozen into the solid state. Usually ice is the phase known as ice Ih, which is the most abundant of the varying solid phases on the Earth's surface. It can appear transparent or opaque bluish-white color, depending on the presence of impurities or air inclusions...
to form (i.e. freezing rain
Freezing rain
Freezing rain is the name given to rain that falls when surface temperatures are below freezing. The raindrops become supercooled while passing through a sub-freezing layer of air, many hundred feet , just above the surface, and then freeze upon impact with any object they encounter. The resulting...
). In temperate continental climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
s, these storms are not necessarily restricted to the winter season, but may occur in the late autumn and early spring as well. Very rarely, they may form in summer, though it would have to be an abnormally cold summer, such as the summer of 1816
Year Without a Summer
The Year Without a Summer was 1816, in which severe summer climate abnormalities caused average global temperatures to decrease by about 0.4–0.7 °C , resulting in major food shortages across the Northern Hemisphere...
in the Northeast United States of America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
is less dense than liquid
Liquid
Liquid is one of the three classical states of matter . Like a gas, a liquid is able to flow and take the shape of a container. Some liquids resist compression, while others can be compressed. Unlike a gas, a liquid does not disperse to fill every space of a container, and maintains a fairly...
water, by a factor of approximately 10 at temperatures slightly below freezing, and even more at much colder temperatures. Therefore, an amount of water that would produce 0.8 in. (2 cm.) of rain could produce at least 8 in (20 cm) of snow. Two inches of snow (5 cm.) is enough to create serious disruptions to traffic
Traffic
Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel...
and school transport (because of the difficulty to drive and maneuver the school buses on slick roads). This is particularly true in places where snowfall is uncommon but heavy accumulating snowfalls can happen (e.g., Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Dublin, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
). In places where snowfall is common, such as Utica
Utica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
, Detroit, Denver, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Syracuse, Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, Pittsburgh, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Minneapolis, such small snowfalls are rarely disruptive, because of effective snow and ice removal by municipalities, greater usage of snow tires
Snow tires
Snow tires are tires designed for use in winter conditions, such as snow and ice. They are an alternative to the use of snow chains.Snow tires are usually tires with a different rubber composition from all-weather tires...
and drivers being more accustomed to winter conditions. Snowfalls in excess of 6 in (15 cm) are usually universally disruptive.
A massive snowstorm with strong winds and other conditions meeting certain criteria is known as a blizzard
Blizzard
A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong winds. By definition, the difference between blizzard and a snowstorm is the strength of the wind. To be a blizzard, a snow storm must have winds in excess of with blowing or drifting snow which reduces visibility to 400 meters or ¼ mile or...
. A large number of heavy snowstorms, some of which were blizzards, occurred in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during 1888
Blizzard of 1888
Two major blizzards occurred in the year 1888.*The Great Blizzard of 1888 which struck parts of the eastern United States and Atlantic Canada from March 11 to March 14...
and 1947 as well as the early and mid-1990s. The snowfall of 1947 exceeded two feet with drifts and snow piles from plowing that reached twelve feet and for months, temperatures did not rise high enough to melt the snow. The 1993 "Superstorm"
1993 North American storm complex
The Storm of the Century, also known as the ’93 Superstorm, or the Blizzard of 1993, was a large cyclonic storm that occurred on March 12–13, 1993, on the East Coast of North America. It is unique for its intensity, massive size and wide-reaching effect...
was manifest as a blizzard in most of the affected area.
Large snowstorms could be quite dangerous: a 6 in. (15 cm.) snowstorm will make some unplowed roads impassable, and it is possible for automobiles to get stuck in the snow. Snowstorms exceeding 12 in (30 cm) especially in southern or generally warm climates will cave the roof
Roof
A roof is the covering on the uppermost part of a building. A roof protects the building and its contents from the effects of weather. Structures that require roofs range from a letter box to a cathedral or stadium, dwellings being the most numerous....
s of some homes and cause the loss of power. Standing dead trees can also be brought down by the weight of the snow, especially if it is wet or very dense. Even a few inches of dry snow can form drifts many feet high under windy conditions.
Dangers of Snow
Snowstorms are usually considered less dangerous than ice storms. However, the snow can bring secondary dangers. MountainMountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
snowstorms can produce cornice
Cornice (climbing)
A snow cornice or simply cornice is an overhanging edge of snow on a ridge or the crest of a mountain. They form by wind blowing snow over the crest of the mountain, so they often form on the leeward sides of mountains...
s and avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
s. An additional danger, following a snowy winter, is spring flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
ing if the snow melts suddenly due to a dramatic rise in air temperature. Deaths can occur from hypothermia, infections brought on by frostbite or car accidents due to slippery roads. Fires and carbon monoxide poisoning can occur after a storm causes a power outage
Power outage
A power outage is a short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area.There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network...
. Large amounts of snow can also significantly reduce visibility in the area, a phenomenon known as a whiteout
Whiteout (weather)
Whiteout is a weather condition in which visibility and contrast are severely reduced by snow or sand. The horizon disappears completely and there are no reference points at all, leaving the individual with a distorted orientation...
; this can be very dangerous to those who are in a densely populated area, as the whiteout can cause major accidents on the road or while flying. There is also several cases of heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
s caused by overexertion while shoveling heavy wet snow. It is difficult to predict what form this precipitation will take, and it may alternate between rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
and snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
. Therefore, weather forecasters just predict a "wintry mix". Usually, this type of precipitation occurs at temperatures between -2 °C and 2 °C (27 °F and 36 °F).
Freezing rain
Freezing rain
Freezing rain is the name given to rain that falls when surface temperatures are below freezing. The raindrops become supercooled while passing through a sub-freezing layer of air, many hundred feet , just above the surface, and then freeze upon impact with any object they encounter. The resulting...
are one of the most dangerous types of winter storm. They typically occur when a layer of warm air hovers over a region, but the ambient temperature a few meters above the ground is near or below 0 °C (32 °F), and the ground temperature is sub-freezing.
While a 10 cm (4 in) snowstorm is somewhat manageable by the standards of the northern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, a comparable 1 cm (0.4 in) ice storm will paralyze a region: driving becomes extremely hazardous, telephone and power lines are damaged, and crops may be ruined. Because they do not require extreme cold, ice storms often occur in warm temperature climates (such as the southern United States) and cooler ones. Ice storms in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
will often destroy entire orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
crops.
Notable ice storms include an El Niño-related North American ice storm of 1998
North American ice storm of 1998
The North American ice storm of 1998 was a massive combination of five smaller successive ice storms which combined to strike a relatively narrow swath of land from eastern Ontario to southern Quebec to Nova Scotia in Canada, and bordering areas from northern New York to central Maine in the...
that affected much of eastern Canada, including Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, as well as upstate New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and part of New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. Three million people lost power, some for as long as six weeks. One-third of the trees in Montreal's Mount Royal
Mount Royal
Mount Royal is a mountain in the city of Montreal, immediately west of downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the city to which it gave its name.The mountain is part of the Monteregian Hills situated between the Laurentians and the Appalachians...
park were damaged, as well as a large proportion of the sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
-producing maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
trees. The amount of economic damage caused by the storm has been estimated at $3 billion Canadian
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
.
The Ice Storm of December 2002 in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
resulted in massive power loss throughout much of the state, and property damage due to falling trees. Except in the mountainous western part of the state, heavy snow and icy conditions are rare in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
The Ice Storm of December 2005
Ice Storm of December 2005
The Ice storm of December 2005 was a damaging winter storm that produced extensive ice damage in a large portion of the Southern United States on December 14–16, 2005 while extensive snows were reported across portions of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec...
was another severe winter storm producing extensive ice damage across a large portion of the Southern United States on December 14 to 16. It led to power outages and at least 7 deaths.
In January 2005 Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
had been declared a major disaster zone by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
after an ice storm caused nearly $39 million in damages to 32 counties. Federal funds were provided to the counties during January 4–6, 2005 to aid the recovery process.
The January 2009 Central Plains and Midwest ice storm
January 2009 Central Plains and Midwest ice storm
The January 2009 ice storm was a major ice storm that occurred over parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The storm produced widespread power outages for over 2 million people due to heavy ice accumulation...
was a crippling and historic ice storm. Most places struck by the storm, saw 2 inches (50.8 mm) or more of ice accumulation, and a few of inches of snow on top it. This brought down power lines, causing some people to go without power for a few days, to a few weeks. In some cases, some didn't see power for a month or more. At the height of the storm, more than 2 million people were without power.
Graupel
Ice crystals fall through a cloud of super-cooled droplets-minute cloud droplets that have fallen below freezing tempature but have not frozen. The ice crystal plows into the super-cooled droplets and they immediately freeze to it. This process forms graupel, or snow pellets, as the droplet continues to accumulate on the crystal. The pellets bounce when they hit the ground.Ice pellets
Out ahead of the passage of a warm front, falling snow may partially melt and refreeze into a frozen rain drop before it reaches the ground. These ice pellets are called sleet. Because it is easily seen and does not accumulate ice, it is not as dangerous as freezing rain.Rime
Rime is a milky white accumulation of super-cooled cloud or fog droplets that freeze when they strike an object that has a temperature of 32 °F (0 °C), the freezing point of water. The process is called riming when super-cooled cloud droplets attach to ice crystals in the formation of graupel. Rime ice can pose a hazard to an airliner when it forms on a wing as an aircraft flies through a cloud of super-cooled droplets.See also
- Comprehensive discussion of weather related terms, such as Winter Storm Warning :
- Severe weather terminology (United States)Severe weather terminology (United States)This article describes the United States National Weather Service severe weather terminology. The NWS defines precise meanings for nearly all its weather terms. This article describes NWS terminology and related NWS weather scales...
- Severe weather terminology (Canada)Severe weather terminology (Canada)This article describes Severe weather Terminology used by the Environment Canada's Meteorological Service of Canada. This article primarily describes various weather warnings, and their criteria. Related weather scales and general weather terms are also addressed in this article...
- Severe weather terminology (United States)
- Blizzard of 1888Blizzard of 1888Two major blizzards occurred in the year 1888.*The Great Blizzard of 1888 which struck parts of the eastern United States and Atlantic Canada from March 11 to March 14...
- Blizzard of 1947
- Winter storms of 2006–07
- Winter storms of 2007–08
- Winter storms of 2008–09
- Winter storms of 2009–2010
- Groundhog Day Blizzard 2011
- Winter Storm WarningWinter Storm WarningA Winter Storm Warning is a statement made by the National Weather Service of the United States which means a winter storm is occurring or is about to occur in the area, usually within 24 hours. Generally, a Winter Storm Warning is issued if at least to or more of snow or or more of snow with...
- Winter Storm WatchWinter Storm WatchA Winter Storm Watch is issued by the National Weather Service of the United States when there is a potential for heavy snow or significant ice accumulations. The watch is usually issued at least 24 to 36 hours before the storm's arrival in the area...
- Winter Weather AdvisoryWinter Weather advisoryA Winter Weather Advisory is issued by the National Weather Service of the United States when a low pressure system produces a combination of winter weather that presents a hazard, but does not meet warning criteria. A Winter Weather Advisory is similar to significant weather advisory, but a...
- Heavy snow warningHeavy Snow WarningA Heavy snow warning was a weather warning issued by the National Weather Service of the United States during times when a high rate of snowfall was occurring or was forecast...
- Ice Storm WarningIce Storm WarningAn Ice Storm Warning is issued by the National Weather Service of the United States when freezing rain produces a significant and possibly damaging accumulation of ice...
- The European winter cold snap of 2010-2011
- Snow AdvisorySnow AdvisoryA Winter Weather Advisory is issued by the National Weather Service of the United States when a low pressure system produces a combination of winter weather that presents a hazard, but does not meet warning criteria. A Winter Weather Advisory is similar to significant weather advisory, but a...
- Cold waveCold waveA cold wave is a weather phenomenon that is distinguished by a cooling of the air. Specifically, as used by the U.S. National Weather Service, a cold wave is a rapid fall in temperature within a 24 hour period requiring substantially increased protection to agriculture, industry, commerce, and...
- Siberian ExpressSiberian ExpressSiberian Express is a shorthand meteorological term in the United States describing the arrival of an extremely cold air mass of Arctic origins. It does not necessarily refer to an origin in Siberia...
- British Winter of 2010