Almost Blizzard of Nov. 29-30

Wow there is always seems to be a learning moment from the weather here. I think it is because mother nature tends to be dramatic when she is dealing with the Midwest states! I definitely didn't pick a dull state to live in. (Nor would I want to live in a dull weather state)

So last night in a matter of my 10 minute drive from work to my apartment, we went from slightly chilly- breezy conditions to freezing cold-blowing snow-howling wind-winter weather advisory conditions! Even better yet, as I was driving to my boyfriends apartment, it changed again to blowing snow-sleet mixture conditions! You can imagine how dramatically the situation changed by the morning.

The national weather service is reporting about 2.5" of snow that had falling from the past 24 hours. When I was walking out to the garage this morning, I could have sworn that there had to have been  6" at least that had fallen over night. Some of the drift were up to my waste.

Shoveling out the garage in order to get the car out was an even bigger mess... luckily that drift was only up to my knees. Once I got to work I was being blown into work rather than me just walking into the building. Along with being pelted in the face by grains of snow and trying not to slip on the ice. I swear it was a blizzard out there.

Finally inside, I looked, the winds where just below the blizzard mark and apparently it wasn't snowing... it was just blowing. The NWS (National Weather Service) had downgraded the Winter Storm Warning to a Winter Weather Advisor... not really sure why, it was pretty much a blizzard out there!!

"So," I thought to myself, "this is just strange." After looking at a couple of the pictures/status' from friends in Grand Forks. I decided to name this blog the "Almost Blizzard"... as they have all named this past storm system. (Thanks guys) 

Weducation (Weather Education Moment)

WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES:

So a quick recap on the differences of watches and warnings. Some people still get confused, but I don't blame them. Here are the definitions straight from the NWS Glossary(http://www.nws.noaa.gov/glossary/index.php?letter=w):

Watch: A watch is used when the risk of a hazardous weather or hydrologic event has increased significantly, but its occurrence, location, and/or timing is still uncertain. It is intended to provide enough lead time so that those who need to set their plans in motion can do so.

Warning: A warning is issued when a hazardous weather or hydrologic event is occurring, is imminent, or has a very high probability of occurring. A warning is used for conditions posing a threat to life or property.

A lot of times in the winter you will hear "Winter Weather Advisory." What is an advisory anyways??

Advisory: (Abbrev. ADVY)- Highlights special weather conditions that are less serious than a warning. They are for events that may cause significant inconvenience, and if caution is not exercised, it could lead to situations that may threaten life and/or property.

Confusing huh? Well here is how I always remember it.
A Watch means you are watching the weather to see when/if it could become dangerous.
A Warning means "Warning!!!" Danger is approaching or is happening right on top of you!
An Advisory is the in between of the two... yes the conditions are bad so it isn't a watch but they aren't bad enough to be an actual warning!

Now all of this words can be paired with anything related to severe weather. Here is a map of all the possibilities that the NWS uses for the United States!

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/

Since the Midwest is experiencing winter like conditions right now (even though the calendar still says it is fall), that is what I would like to focus on in this blog.
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SEVERE WINTER WEATHER WORDS
** Again according to the NWS Glossary http://www.nws.noaa.gov/glossary/

Here are a few stipulation for the following severe winter weather events that are most common. All of which us in this flat state and our neighbors to the east, in the diverse state I call my home, have experienced not only with this storm but with the earlier ones of this season.

Blizzard:
(abbrev. BLZD)- A blizzard means that the following conditions are expected to prevail for a period of 3 hours or longer:

• Sustained wind or frequent gusts to 35 miles an hour or greater; and
• Considerable falling and/or blowing snow (i.e., reducing visibility frequently to less than ¼ mile)

Winter Storm Warning:

This product is issued by the National Weather Service when a winter storm is producing or is forecast to produce heavy snow or significant ice accumulations. The criteria for this warning can vary from place to place.

Winter Storm Watch:

This product is issued by the National Weather Service when there is a potential for heavy snow or significant ice accumulations, usually at least 24 to 36 hours in advance. The criteria for this watch can vary from place to place.

Winter Weather Advisory:
This product is issued by the National Weather Service when a low pressure system produces a combination of winter weather (snow, freezing rain, sleet, etc.) that present a hazard, but does not meet warning criteria.
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So the reason that the storm from yesterday and today was only classified as a winter storm and not a blizzard is because the conditions weren't present for more than 3 hours... and the winds were short of the 30 knots, that they were supposed to sustain.

However I think the NWS should now make a severe weather category that has to do with Almost Blizzards!

On that note... I think I will head to Dairy Queen and have them make me a Blizzard!