Some people may think that a blizzard needs to be accompanied by buryingsnowfall. By definition, a storm actually does not need to produce a certainamount of snow to be classified as a blizzard. The only criteria that must bemet pertains to wind speed and visibility. You can have a blizzard even whenonly an inch or two of fresh snow is expected.By looking at the above graphic, it is clear that the upcoming storm will meetboth the unofficial and official snowfall definition of a blizzard, but strongwinds will howl as well. The corridor from Kansas City to Duluth will getblasted by 12 to 18 inches of snow, locally up to 2 feet. Strong winds withsevere blowing and drifting will not only make measuring the snow difficult,but also make travel nearly impossible.
For residents from northeastern Iowa to northern Michigan, do not let the 1-3inches of snow fool you into thinking the storm will not be potent. Atreacherous icy mix will endanger motorists as it precedes the snow.
Story By AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski
