Learn These Winter Weather Terms Before the Next Big Storm
Although it already seems like this winter has stretched out forever, technically we have less than a month left before the start of the season. While parts of the country have already experienced winter storms, others have still experienced relatively mild weather. But it is only a matter of time before we are warned of an impending winter storm, and it’s better to be prepared.
As with summer weather , winter storm terminology is full of terms and concepts we’ve heard of before, but we can’t be completely sure what they entail – for example, the difference between snow storm and snow flurry or sleet. and ice. storm. And, of course, there is Nor’ester – that we all pretend to understand, but in reality we only know that this is bad.
Well, the pretense ends. Here’s a breakdown of some common winter weather conditions, as well as some background information on other winter safety issues, straight from the National Weather Service meteorologist.
General terms for winter storm
Let’s start with some of the terms and concepts needed to understand winter weather:
Winter storm hours, warnings and recommendations
As with summer storms, there are different terms to denote the different severity of potential winter weather conditions :
- Winter Weather Information : Light winter weather expected.
- Winter Storm Watch : Medium confidence that there will be a storm that can cause snow, sleet and / or ice with the potential for significant impacts.
- Winter Storm Warning: A high degree of confidence that there will be a storm that could cause snow, sleet and / or ice with the potential for significant impacts.
Black ice
Black ice is often transparent, making the road surface visible underneath. Chunks of black ice usually look like wet pavement.
Freezing rain against sleet
Freezing rain is rain that freezes when it hits the ground. Sleet, on the other hand, is rain that turns into ice pellets even before it reaches the ground. Both freezing rain and sleet can leave ice on roads, footpaths, trees and power lines.
Squalls
Short periods of light snowfall with little or no accumulation.
Snowfall
A term for snow falling at varying rates over short periods of time with some possible accumulation.
Snow squalls
According to Michael Mucchilli, meteorologist and winter program coordinator at NOAA / National Weather Service, snowstorms are “localized areas of heavy snowfall and gusty winds that, although brief, can quickly reduce visibility to near zero, cause the ice to freeze suddenly and t. D. snow on roads and sidewalks and leads to the congestion of many vehicles. “
Snowstorms
Blizzards are winter storms with sustained winds or frequent gusts at 35 mph or more in addition to snow. They can reduce visibility to less than a quarter of a mile for three hours or more. On the other hand, ground snowstorms occur with little or no simultaneous (or new) snowfall.
Snow lake effect
When cold air, often from Canada, passes through the unfrozen and relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes, heat and moisture is transferred to the lowest layers of the atmosphere. This air rises to form clouds, which then turn into a narrow band of so-called lake-effect snow that produces two to three inches of snow an hour or more.
Nor’easters
Nor’ister is a storm that develops along the east coast of North America and gets its name because winds over the coastal area usually blow from the northeast. Nor’easters can occur at any time of the year, but are most common and serious between September and April.
Winter Storm Severity Index
This winter, we have a new tool for assessing winter storms, courtesy of the National Weather Service. It is called the Winter Storm Severity Index (WSSI) and is a scale that uses projections to help determine the potential impacts of a winter storm in any particular area:
Mucchilli explains that not only is this useful for preparing for the weather, but the WSSI portion of the National Meteorological Service’s website provides users with more information about the individual components of a storm. These include:
- Snow Amount: Actual amount or accumulation rate.
- Snow load: The amount of liquid contained in the snow that can heavily burden trees and / or power lines, resulting in blackouts.
- Ice build-up : The amount of ice on the surface.
- Rapid Freezing: Rapid temperature drop leading to rapid ice formation.
- Blizzard: Snow that falls and flutters, reducing visibility.
- Ground Storm: A blizzard due to snow already on the ground.
Winter power outages
While we may associate power outages more with extreme weather conditions in summer, it can also happen in winter – for many of the same reasons. This is how Mucciilli explains it:
The power outage in winter can be caused by several reasons. Strong, damaging winds can be a factor as they can damage trees, power pylons, and power lines. In addition, heavy snowfall on trees and power lines can cause damage due to their weight, collapsing power lines, resulting in a power outage. Finally, ice cover due to freezing rain can also accumulate on trees and power lines, leading to power outages as well.
Driving in winter weather
Even if you grew up in an area with extreme winter weather, driving during a blizzard or ice storm can be challenging (and in some cases intimidating). The safety of winter driving depends a lot on common sense, for example:
- Fill your vehicle with emergency supplies.
- Slow down.
- Be vigilant and avoid risky behaviors such as texting or other distractions.
- Do not push snowblowers.
But there are also many misconceptions about winter driving. Here are a few highlighted by Mucciilli:
- Just because you have an AWD vehicle or winter tires doesn’t mean you don’t need to slow down. They help you navigate in winter driving conditions, but do not negate the effect of snow and ice on the road and the vehicle.
- The road may appear wet, but it can be covered in black ice and incredibly slippery.
- Always remove snow or ice from the entire machine. Only clear a small window on your windshield so you can see is dangerous and restricts your peripheral vision.
- Leaving snow on the roof of your car can be dangerous as it can slide onto the windshield or fly into the car behind you.
Winter storms may not get as much attention as powerful hurricanes, but they can certainly do a lot of damage and have their own set of hazards. For the rest of the season (and coming winters), let’s take our time on the roads, be prepared for emergencies, and pay attention to storm warnings in our area.