A travel-snarling blizzard is battering the Midwest, so what exactly classifiesa storm as a blizzard?A blizzard is truly under way when the following two criteria are met for threehours or more. First, the winds must be sustained or frequently gusting tospeeds of 35 mph or higher. Second, visibility must remain below a quarter of amile due to blowing or falling snow.One thing to point out is that the definition of a blizzard does not includeany snowfall accumulations. Regardless of whether a storm drops an inch or afoot of snow, it can be deemed a blizzard if the above conditions are met.
Further more, there does not have to be any falling snow during a blizzard.
Strong winds whipping around already fallen snow can lead to groundblizzards.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski
