Re: Blizzard Warning up MO, IL
Posted by Tim_NC on 2/1/2011, 11:58 am
Blizzard warnings are not common in the U.S.

Outside of the Upper Midwest they are actually rare; because it's difficult to get all the criteria (visibility, temperature, wind speed, and duration) at once.

The U.S. East Coast often sees crushing snowfalls but rarely do they generate 'blizzard warnings' because the temperatures usually aren't cold enough; and winds away from the immediate coast often don't meet blizzard criteria.

Many snowstorms generate 'blizzard conditions' or 'blizzard-like conditions' but fail to sustain them long enough to qualify as an actual blizzard. As with hurricanes, people tend to exaggerate or overestimate what they personally experience; such is human nature.

What I find most amazing with this current storm is the quantity of snow expected - given the distance from the nearest source of moisture. Chicago's greatest single snowfall was 23"; a record handily beaten by every major city in the East (D.C. northwards) due to their proximity to the Atlantic - yet Chicago may test their record with this storm.

Tim in NC
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Conclues PDS Winter Storm - JAC, 1/30/2011, 8:07 pm
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