Meteorology and You

Common Core State Standard: ELA: Reading Informational Text (3.1-10 through 8.1-10)

SNOWSTORMS AND BLIZZARDS

Snowstorms
Every winter, we in New England are fully aware of what will eventually arrive. Some
of us love it and some of us hate it. It can close school, shut down the state, and leave
hundreds of thousands without power. What we’re referring to is a snowstorm.

Here in Connecticut, we average around 48 inches of snow per year. As we found out
in 2013, the majority of that snow can come all in one storm! There are a few differ-
ent types of storms that we deal with here in the northeast. Typically the strongest are
the coastal storms. Also known as “Nor’easters,” they involve a developing low pressure
system just off the coast of Cape Cod. They can bring several different types of snow,
whether it’s a heavy wet snow or a light and fluffy snow. Some of our more memorable
snowstorms have been nor’easters.

We also have Alberta Clippers, which are fast-moving systems that swing down from
Alberta Canada. They typically have a lack of moisture, so only a couple inches of snow can be expected from a storm like this. These usually bring that
light and fluffy type of snow.

Another type of storm that we see are lake effect snow squalls, which sometimes will make their way
down from New York State. It can barely be categorized as a storm, but they can still bring us
isolated pockets of heavy snow.

Blizzards
Blizzards can lead to some of the most intense conditions that we see here in New England. The
main concern with any blizzard is the poor visibility from strong winds. Here are the criteria in order
to have a blizzard:
• Winds of 35 mph for a period of 3 hours or longer
• Considerable falling or blowing snow, leading to a drop in visibility

When a storm undergoes a rapid strengthening, it drops the pressure in its center very quickly. This is a process known as
“bombogenesis”, when the storm basically explodes over us. It can lead to very heavy snow, sometimes as much as 6 inches falling
per hour!

Did You Know Lightning Quick

It’s important to note that you don’t necessarily

Activity
need snow falling from the sky in order to have
a blizzard. It can be partly cloudy with the snow
blowing around, and as long as the visibility is low
enough, it can qualify as a blizzard. That being said,
blizzards commonly bring some of our highest snow
totals, due to the intensity of the storm itself.
Measuring snow: If there is snow on the ground, go outside
and take several measurements with a ruler in different places.
Do you get different results? Snow will often blow around in
the wind, especially during a more intense storms like bliz-
zards. This means one area will receive much more snow than
another. In order to get the most accurate reading on your
snow depth, take 5 measurements from different sections, and
then average them all together. You can do this by adding
them up and dividing by 5.