We won't being dealing with the "s" word around Maryland this big holiday travel week but if you are heading to the Midwest, the West or the Northeast you will run into some heavy snow that is going to cause some major problems like closed airports and stranding travelers.
Here is some Winter weather jargon you should be familiar with, courtesy of the National Weather Service (NWS). https://www.weather.gov/safety/winter-snow
- Blizzard: Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with snow and blowing snow frequently reducing visibility to less than a quarter mile for 3 hours or more.
- Blowing Snow: Wind-driven snow that reduces visibility. Blowing snow may be falling snow and/or snow on the ground picked up by the wind.
- Snow Squalls: Brief, intense snow showers accompanied by strong, gusty winds. Accumulation may be significant.
- Snow Showers: Snow falling at varying intensities for brief periods of time. Some accumulation is possible.
- Flurries: Light snow falling for short durations with little or no accumulation.
- Avalanche: A mass of tumbling snow. More than 80 percent of midwinter avalanches are triggered by a rapid accumulation of snow and 90 percent of those avalanches occur within 24 hours of snowfall. An avalanche may reach a mass of a million tons and travel at speeds up to 200 m
Stay Tuned!
