Snow, Ice, and Whiteouts. Ready for winter yet? There's a new warning coming our way.

We're routinely dealt with "Snow Storm Warnings" and "Blizzard Warnings." However, this winter, the National Weather Service will issue a warning for an equally dangerous weather situation; the snow squall.

What exactly is a snow squall? According to weather.gov, snow squalls "move in and out quickly, and typically last less than an hour. The sudden white-out conditions combined with falling temperatures produces icy roads in just a few minutes. Squalls can occur where there is no large-scale winter storm in progress and might only produce minor accumulations. Snow squalls can cause localized extreme impacts to the traveling public and to commerce for brief periods of time."

There is a marked difference between a snow squall and a snowstorm. Weather.gov states the duration of the event. "Snow squalls are usually very short-lived (on the order of 30-60 minutes) and extremely intense. A snow storm could last for several hours or even days."

 

 

 

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