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A snow squall warning (SAME code: SQW) is a bulletin issued by Environment Canada's Meteorological Service of Canada and the National Weather Service in the United States to warn population of two types of snow events reducing visibility in blowing snow: lake effect snow squalls and frontal snow squalls. [1]
Lake effect snow squalls are generated by cold arctic air moving over unfrozen water of lake or sea. These will reduce visibility to less than 1 km and produce large accumulations of snow on the ground along narrow corridors in lee of the waters. Duration of these events can extend for days.
Frontal snow squalls are associated with a fast moving intense cold front in winter. Visibility must be reduce to less than 500 m, wind over 40 km/h with a wind shift. Quantities of snow is not important with this type but intensity is heavy for a short period, typically 10 to 20 minutes.
Squall warnings, reduce visibility
In Canada, snow squall warnings are issued for conditions expected to be: [2]
Beginning November 1, 2018, the snow squall warning was declared operational in the United States, and the capability to issue these warnings was rolled out to all NWS offices in the US. [1] These issuances are intended to warn drivers of potentially life-threatening road conditions. [3] The warnings are issued in a polygon area, to make the warned area as localized as possible, similar to a tornado, severe thunderstorm, or flash flood warning.
Criteria for the National Weather Service to issue a snow squall warning include:
In the winter season of 2023-2024, the National Weather Service started using Impact-Based Warnings for snow squall warnings. [5] Previously, all snow squall warnings would prompt a Wireless Emergency Alert. However, only warnings tagged 'Significant' will trigger an alert, while 'General' warnings, those without an impact tag, will not.
The following is an example of a snow squall warning issued by the USA National Weather Service in Binghamton, New York, on February 2, 2018. [6]
148 WWUS51 KBGM 021452 SQWBGM BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Snow Squall Warning National Weather Service Binghamton NY 950 AM EST Fri Feb 2 2018 NYC007-017-023-053-077-107-109-021545- /O.NEW.KBGM.SQ.W.0002.180202T1450Z-180202T1545Z/ Otsego NY-Broome NY-Madison NY-Cortland NY-Tioga NY-Tompkins NY- Chenango NY- 950 AM EST Fri Feb 2 2018 The National Weather Service in Binghamton has issued a * Snow Squall Warning for... Central Otsego County in central New York... Northwestern Broome County in central New York... Southern Madison County in central New York... Cortland County in central New York... Tioga County in central New York... Tompkins County in central New York... Chenango County in central New York... * Until 1045 AM EST. * At 950 AM EST, a dangerous snow squall was located along a line extending from near Exeter Center to near Poolville to near Erieville to near Cuyler to East Homer to near Groton to Enfield, moving southeast at 25 mph. HAZARD...Extremely poor visibility in heavy snow. A quick 1 to 2 inches of snow could fall in less than an hour. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Dangerous life-threatening travel. This snow squall will be near... Hamilton and Georgetown around 955 AM EST. Lebanon and Otselic around 1000 AM EST. Hartwick and South Lebanon around 1005 AM EST. Cooperstown and South Brookfield around 1010 AM EST. Danby, Virgil and Columbus around 1015 AM EST. Caroline, Harford and Smyrna around 1020 AM EST. Marathon, Edmeston and Plymouth around 1025 AM EST. North Norwich, Pittsfield and Cincinnatus around 1030 AM EST. This includes the following highway exits... New York Interstate 81 between 7 and 12. Interstate 86/Route 17 between 63 and 65. Interstate 88 between 15 and 18. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Reduce your speed and turn on headlights! During snow squalls, the visibility may suddenly drop to near zero in whiteout conditions. && LAT...LON 4252 7472 4251 7484 4248 7496 4245 7498 4245 7522 4238 7549 4228 7565 4200 7631 4220 7654 4228 7654 4229 7662 4236 7669 4243 7669 4266 7614 4276 7599 4283 7572 4283 7545 4275 7499 4255 7469 TIME...MOT...LOC 1450Z 315DEG 20KT 4275 7507 4282 7543 4281 7570 4275 7597 4265 7612 4256 7638 4244 7664 $$
A winter storm is an event in which wind coincides with varieties of precipitation that only occur at freezing temperatures, such as snow, mixed snow and rain, or freezing rain. In temperate continental and subarctic climates, these storms are not necessarily restricted to the winter season, but may occur in the late autumn and early spring as well. A snowstorm with strong winds and low visibility is called a blizzard.
A winter storm warning is a hazardous weather statement issued by Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) of the National Weather Service (NWS) in the United States to alert the public that a winter storm is occurring or is about to occur in the area, usually within 36 hours of the storm's onset.
A winter weather advisory is a hazardous weather statement issued by local Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) of the National Weather Service in the United States when one or more types of winter precipitation—snow, rain and snow mixed, freezing rain, sleet, graupel, etc.—presenting a hazard, but not expected to produce accumulations meeting storm warning criteria, are forecast within 36 hours of the expected onset of precipitation or are occurring in the advisory's coverage area.
A blowing snow advisory was issued by the National Weather Service of the United States when wind driven snow reduces surface visibility and possibly hampers traveling. Blowing snow may be falling snow, or snow that has already accumulated but is picked up and blown by strong winds. This advisory was discontinued beginning with the 2008–09 winter storm season, replaced by the winter weather advisory for snow and blowing snow. However, if the storm is judged to be dangerous by local forecasters, a winter storm warning for heavy snow and blowing snow may be issued.
A winter storm watch is issued by the National Weather Service of the United States when there is a possibility of heavy snow or potential of significant ice accumulations, without meeting a specific other winter criteria. The watch is typically issued 12 to 48 hours before the storm's expected arrival in the given area. The criteria for this watch can vary from place to place, which is true with other winter weather warning and advisories.
This article describes severe weather terminology used by the National Weather Service (NWS) in the United States. The NWS is a government agency operating as an arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) branch. It defines precise meanings for nearly all of its weather terms.
A snow squall, or snowsquall, is a sudden moderately heavy snowfall with blowing snow and strong, gusty surface winds. It is often referred to as a whiteout and is similar to a blizzard but is localized in time or in location and snow accumulations may or may not be significant.
The October 2006 Buffalo storm was an unusual early-season lake effect snow storm that hit the Buffalo, New York, area and other surrounding areas of the United States and Canada, from the afternoon of Thursday, October 12 through the morning of Friday, October 13, 2006. It was called Lake Storm Aphid by the National Weather Service office in Buffalo, in accordance with their naming scheme for lake-effect snowstorms for that year, which related to insects, though locals never used that terminology and have simply referred to it as the October Surprise or the October Storm or Arborgeddon.
A lake effect snow warning is a bulletin issued by the National Weather Service in the United States to warn of heavy snowfall accumulations that are imminent from convective snow generated by very cold airmass passing over unfrozen lakes. The criteria for amounts may vary significantly over different county warning areas. On October 2, 2017, some National Weather Service Forecast Offices discontinued issuing the Lake Effect Snow Warning, and consolidated it with the Winter Storm Warning. On October 15, 2018, the National Weather Service discontinued issuing Lake Effect Snow Warnings nationwide all together, and all offices consolidated it with the Winter Storm Warning. Lake effect snow warnings were reinstated for the 2019–20 winter season.
This article describes severe weather terminology used by the Meteorological Service of Canada, a branch within Environment and Climate Change Canada. The article primarily describes various weather warnings, and their criteria. Related weather scales and general weather terms are also addressed in this article. Some terms are specific to certain regions.
The February 2007 North American blizzard was a massive winter storm that affected most of the eastern half of North America, starting on February 12, 2007 and peaking on Valentine's Day, February 14. The storm produced heavy snowfalls across the midwestern United States from Nebraska to Ohio and produced similar conditions across parts of the northeastern United States, and into Canada in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. Significant sleet and freezing rain fell across the southern Ohio Valley and affected portions of the east coast of the United States, including the cities of Boston, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., New York City and Philadelphia.
In weather forecasting in the United States, "particularly dangerous situation" (PDS) is enhanced wording used by the National Weather Service to convey special urgency in some watch or warning messages for unusually extreme and life-threatening severe weather events, above and beyond the average severity for the type of event. It is used in the format "This is a particularly dangerous situation..." at the discretion of the issuing forecaster. A watch or warning bearing the phrase is referred to as a PDS watch or PDS warning as shorthand jargon.
A blizzard warning is a hazardous weather statement issued by Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) of the National Weather Service (NWS) in the United States, which indicates heavy snowfall accompanied by sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph (56 km/h) or greater are forecast to occur for a minimum of three hours. A blizzard tends to reduce visibilities to 1⁄4 mile (400 m) or less.
A Special Weather Statement is a form of weather advisory. Special Weather Statements are issued by the National Weather Service of the United States (NWS) and the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC). There are no set criteria for special weather statements in either country.
The February 9–10, 2010 North American blizzard was a winter and severe weather event that afflicted the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and New England regions of the United States between February 9–11, 2010, affecting some of the same regions that had experienced a historic Nor'easter just three days earlier. The storm brought 10 to 20 inches of snow across a wide swath from Washington, D.C., to New York City, with parts of the Baltimore metro area receiving more than 20 inches (51 cm). This storm began as a classic "Alberta clipper", starting out in Canada and then moving southeast, and finally curving northeast while rapidly intensifying off the New Jersey coast, forming an eye. The National Weather Service likened this storm to a Category 1 hurricane: "Winds topped 58 mph over part of the Chesapeake Bay, and 40 mph gusts were common across the region as the storm's center deepened and drifted slowly along the mid-Atlantic coast". The storm system, in conjunction with the earlier storm, has been nicknamed "Snoverkill."
A wind chill warning is a hazardous weather statement issued by local forecast offices of the National Weather Service (NWS) in the United States and previously by the Meteorological Service of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) when wind chills are forecast to reach values low enough for residents and travelers to be susceptible to life-threatening medical conditions or death associated with accelerated body heat loss.
A dust storm warning is issued by the National Weather Service in the United States when blowing dust is expected to frequently reduce visibility to 1⁄4 mile (400 m) or less, generally with winds of 25 miles per hour (40 km/h) or more.
The March 2017 North American blizzard also known as Winter Storm Stella was a major late-season blizzard that affected the Northeastern United States, New England and Canada, dumping up to 3 feet of snow in the hardest hit areas, mainly New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and southern Quebec. Forming out of an extratropical cyclone near the Northwest, the storm system dived into the northern portions of the United States, dropping light to moderate snow across the Great Lakes, Upper Midwest on March 11–12 before reaching the Ohio Valley the next day. It later coalesced into a powerful nor'easter off the East Coast, producing a swath of heavy snowfall across a large portion of the Northeast. The storm was given various unofficial names, such as Winter Storm Stella, Blizzard Eugene, and Blizzard of 2017.
The January 2022 North American blizzard caused widespread and disruptive impacts to the Atlantic coast of North America from northern Delaware to Nova Scotia with as much as 2.5 feet (30 in) of snowfall, blizzard conditions and coastal flooding at the end of January 2022. Forming from the energy of a strong mid- to upper-level trough, the system developed into a low-pressure area off the Southeast United States on January 28. The system then quickly intensified that night as it traveled northeast parallel to the coast on January 29, bringing heavy snowfall blown by high winds to the upper East Coast of the continent. Further north, it also moved inland in Maine and its width meant it strongly impacted all three of Canada's Maritime provinces. In some areas, mainly the coastal regions due to the wind, areas of New Jersey, Long Island and Massachusetts, it was the first blizzard since a storm in January 2018. The storm was considered a "bomb cyclone" as it rapidly intensified and barometric pressure dropped at least 24 millibars over a 24-hour period. The storm was given names such as Blizzard of 2022 and Winter Storm Kenan.
From December 21 to 26, 2022, an extratropical cyclone created crippling winter storm conditions, including blizzards, high winds, snowfall, and record cold temperatures across the majority of the United States and parts of Canada. Areas which experienced blizzard conditions included parts of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Ontario, with the Buffalo area of New York and the Fort Erie and Kingston areas of Ontario experiencing almost two full days of blizzard/zero-visibility conditions starting from December 23. The cold wave affected all U.S. states from Colorado to the Eastern Seaboard, with effects felt as far south as Miami, Florida. On December 24, 110 million people across 36 states were subject to wind chill alerts.
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