Blizzard Research Paper

A blizzard is a heavy and intense storm in which visibility conditions are very low due to very fast winds blowing the snow throughout the air. Contrary to popular belief, blizzards can occur without snowfall but are sometimes accompanied by it. Blizzards can be very deadly and cause mass destruction making many people stranded without the necessary materials and conditions to survive. Whiteout visibility conditions in some blizzards can also completely disorient people’s depth perception and knowledge of their exact location due to the loss of any point of reference. A blizzard is a very dangerous storm and should not be taken lightly when in the possible path of one.
A blizzard requires many factors to be in place in order to form. A snowstorm …show more content…
The Great Plains area and Upper Midwest region in the United States is most vulnerable to blizzards due to the meeting of hot air from the Gulf of Mexico and cold air from the Pacific Ocean along with cold air coming from the polar jet stream. Along with meeting pressures, the absence of vegetation on the Great Plains allow for building of speedy winds, an important factor in creating a blizzard. The accumulation of moisture is required for clouds to form to allow for heavy snowfall in regions prime for blizzards. Snow is either needed to be on the ground already from a past snowstorm or as the precipitation of the current snowstorm for the high winds of the blizzards to blow the snow around to reduce visibility. Nor’easter storms are the main cause of blizzards in the northeast region of the United States, being produced from the Atlantic Ocean and having traits similar to tropical storms and hurricanes such as high winds and precipitation. The name Nor’easter comes from the direction of the winds blowing during the storm, with winds spiraling counterclockwise from northeast