Severe Storms/Winter Storms

This page is to be used for the Severe Storms topic of the Meteorology event.

Snow Storms
Snow is less dense than liquid by a factor of a approximately ten when in temperatures just under freezing. This means that 1 inch of rain would be about 10 inches of snow. This can make snow storms very problematic, especially in areas that are not used to getting heavy snow; however more than 6 inches of snow will be a problem anywhere. Some of the key dangers of snow storms include hypothermia, frostbite, car wrecks, or even avalanches if near or on a mountain.

In order for a snow storm to be classified as a "blizzard" it must have the following characteristics:
 * Visibility reduced to less than 1/4 mile
 * Winds greater than 35 miles per hour
 * Last for a long period of time such as three hours.

Freezing Rain
Freezing rain can be extremely dangerous. It occurs when there is a layer of warm air aloft freezing cold air near the ground. Rain will fall, then freeze as it nears the ground. The result is a layer of ice instead of snow. Even for places that are acoustom to snow storms, as little as 1 cm can completely paralyze a city. Dangers including driving, telephone and electrical wire damage, and entire crops can be destroyed.