Winter Storm

weather · snow · cold · nature

Snow plus wind. Winter storms happen when precipitation (like snow or freezing rain) falls while it's cold enough for it to freeze. The wind is just as important as the snow, because strong winds make the storm dangerous and hard to see through.

Blizzards are intense. When a winter storm has really strong winds and such low visibility that you can barely see, it's called a blizzard. Blizzards are the most dangerous type of winter storm because people can get lost or hurt in the swirling snow.

Timing surprises. Even though they're called winter storms, they don't only happen in winter. In places with very cold climates, these storms can strike in late autumn or early spring when conditions get freezing enough.

Freezing rain forms. Sometimes winter storms bring freezing rain instead of snow. This happens when rain falls through cold air and freezes into a slick layer of ice on the ground, trees, and power lines.

Temperate and arctic zones. Winter storms are most common in temperate continental climates (places with very cold winters) and subarctic regions, where frozen precipitation is part of life every year.