Blizzard

Blizzard in Brooklyn 1888

An ox after a blizzard

The blizzard is a severe snowstorm that occurs primarily in North America . The designation of a violent snowstorm as a blizzard was later also used in other regions such as B. in the Antarctic and in northern Scandinavia ( Lapland ).

Origin and definition

A blizzard arises as a result of a strong ingress of cold air from the direction of the polar regions. The polar cold air penetrates far to the south in low-pressure areas, as there are no mountains running in an east-west direction on the North American continent.

A North American blizzard is defined by the following phenomena:

high wind speeds from 55 kilometers per hour (wind force 7 Bft )
large amounts of snow with visibility less than 400 meters
Duration of over three hours.

Blizzards are relatively rare. They are most likely to occur in Canada and the Northern Plains of the United States , but can also haunt the entire northeastern United States and cause chaotic weather conditions. It has also happened before that blizzards brought snow to northern Florida and covered the streets with ice in southern Texas .

The Black Blizzard is a blizzard that, due to its high wind speeds, also pulls arable soil with it like a sandstorm .