Blizzards can be very dangerous storms. A blizzard is a storm with dry, driving snow, strong winds, and intense cold temperatures. Each year, may blizzards strike the Earth, with their terrifying conditions. Blizzards are formed when the difference between the lower pressure in the storm and the higher pressure to the west creates a tight pressure gradient, or a difference in pressure in two locations, which in turn leads to very high winds. These strong winds pick up snow from the ground, or blow any snow that is falling, can then cause the significant drifting of snow (“Blizzards”). Blizzards can affect people’s lives in many different ways. The strong winds and blistering cold temperatures
The concept of lake-effect snow is rather simple. It starts when cold arctic air from Canada moves southwest across the great lakes, which are warmer than the air. As the air moves across the lakes evaporation occurs. The moist air is cooled as it is lifted up and then turned into snow. This snow does not stop until the cold arctic winds stop drifting across the lakes. Hills and valleys on the shore of the lakes intensify the amount of snow an area receives. The shore of the lakes as well as, any hills or valleys, cause the masses of moist air to slow down and “pile up”.
The term snow is usually restricted to material that fall during precipitation in the form of small white ice crystals formed directly from the water vapour of the air at a temperature of less than 0°C and has not changed much since it fell. A fall of snow on a glacier surface is the first step in the formation of glacier ice, a process that is often long and complex (Cuffey and Paterson, 2010). The transformation of snow to ice occurs in the top layers of the glaciers and the time of the transformation depends mostly on the temperature. Snow develops into ice much more rapidly on Temperate glaciers, where periods of melting alternate with periods when wet snow refreezes, than in Polar glaciers, where the temperature remains well below the freezing point throughout the year. The density of new snow as it falls on glacier surface depends mostly on the weather conditions. In clam conditions, the density of new snow is ρs ≈ 50 – 70 kg m-3 (Table 1.1). If it is windy, there is breaking of the corners of snowflakes, and the density is more like ρs ≈ 100 kg m-3. After the snow has fallen on the surface, there are three processes that are all active together and work to transform the snow to ice.
When thunderstorm are mentioned, a large gray mass of clouds with an anvil shape immediately comes to mind, and most people never give it a second thought. Thunderstorms form because of the rapid upward movement of warm, moist air (2010, Thunderstorm). Depending on the severity of the storm there can be anything from several inches of rain to hail, and in some severe cases even tornadoes. Thunderstorms can be classified as a single-cell, multi-cell, or super-cell, with super-cells being the most severe of the three. Because of the large amounts of rain that can accompany a thunderstorm, they are also responsible for secondary disasters like flash flooding.
Tornadoes are powerful and destructive phenomena created in strong thunderstorms. Tornadoes are most common in the United States, and in the U.S., they are common in an area called Tornado Alley. Every year, tornadoes wreak havoc on the countryside, towns, and even cities. The deadliest tornado in U.S. history crossed over three states, destroyed 15,000 homes, and killed almost 700 people. There are only a couple of people on record that claim to have been in and seen the center of a tornado and lived. Tornadoes even have their own rating scale, based on their wind and damage level.Tornadoes are powerful vortexes created in thunderstorms, are common in the U.S., have its own rating scale, have only been seen on the inside a few times, have the potential to demolish towns, and can take lives.
When we think of Christmas weather, “snow” comes to mind. From making snow angels, building snowmen, throwing snowballs, and catching snowflakes on our tongues, we anticipate living in every single moment of this Winter Wonderland. However, at any time, this perfect depiction of a Winter Wonderland could unravel unexpectedly to becoming a Winter Disaster, known as a snow blizzard. In accordance to the National Weather Service that the LIVESCIENCE website quotes of, a blizzard is a “storm with considerable falling or blowing snow and winds in excess of 35 mph and visibilities of less than ¼ mile for at least 3 hours.” The Great Blizzard of 1888 overshadowed New York City to become a city that was fully covered in snow ruins as it took its toll
October 29th 2012 the high wind destroyer struck the heart of New York. They called her sandy; she was a very devastating hurricane. She demolished more than 300,000 homes and left them homeless, and confirmed 285 deaths. Imagine big strong winds whistling around your home, no power, and a big river down your street with cars bobbing down it, scary, isn’t it. These are some of the tragic events that happened during hurricane sandy. What is a hurricane? The proper definition is, when a series of cold gusty winds mix with the warm humid air. It’s just like a tornado but it forms over water.
Technology was a lacking factor on that January 12th day of 1888, which did not give those people warning on what was coming their way. Forecasters that were subject to human error did not have access to information that could have been provided by the Army. Certain weather terminology was forbidding to use for the fear that some cities were immune to these storms. During that day of the blizzard there were no advanced warning signs (outside of the temperature dropping) that the worst blizzard was about to occur, technology had not yet reached that point. If on that day or any day, the Army would have made weather a top priority some of those children could have been saved or at home with their families instead of dying alone in the snow. Forecasters could only get weather information the day of or twenty-four hours before. Many of the weather disasters were not accurate, so if there were any weather predictions good or bad, the people had no choice to believe it. Both parties really did not know any more than the
(6) The suddenness of the winter storm caught people by surprise. A roar “like an approaching train” was all the warning the storm gave. (130) The roaring wind and snow brought darkness and dropping temperatures. The people who were inside when the blizzard struck faced a dilemma. Staying inside and doing nothing seemed “heartless,” but going into the storm “on a rescue mission was likely to be fatal to the rescuer and useless to the lost.” (143) The people who were unfortunate enough to be away from home, whether they were at school or working with their livestock, had to make a difficult decision. They could either risk trying to make it home or chance it out and stay where they were. Schoolteachers had to decide whether to send the children home or keep them at the school. If anyone ventured outside, he or she risked frostbite, hypothermia, and likely
For the purpose of this paper, we will discuss a weather event that few think of regarding natural disasters; winter storms. Winter storms are different from a snowy day in that a winter storm can include heavy snow, damage-causing ice, high winds, dangerously low temperatures, low visibility, or any combination thereof (America’s PrepareAthon, 2015) and makes travel extremely hazardous. A winter storm can affect an entire region and victims may experience loss of utility services, limited mobility, among various personal crises (illnesses, accidents, or death). For example, between November 17 and November 20, 2014 Buffalo, New York was buried under 7 feet of snow causing thirteen fatalities, hundreds of roof collapses/structural failures, thousands of stranded motorists, downed trees, and power outages in addition to food and gas shortages (National Weather Service, n.d.). In the most severe winter storms, snow plows, and emergency services personnel often have a difficult time keeping up with the needs of the region; therefore, it may be hours, days or even weeks until conditions are safe and services are
A hurricane is easily the most powerful storm that mother-nature can throw at us. Every year people who live on the coasts fight hurricanes with no dismay. A hurricane is simply too strong. Their winds reach speeds of 75 mph. The winds around the eye wall can reach 130 to 150 mph. They are 200 to 300 miles in diameter. The number of casualties is endless, as well as the widespread destruction that takes millions of dollars to repair. Even if the hurricane doesn’t cause a lot of damage, the storm surge will. Storm surge is the great tidal waves that crash into our coasts and make huge floods that are caused by hurricanes.
"Snow Storms: What's a Blizzard." Forces of Nature: TQ 2000. Web. 3 Mar. 2014. .
My family and I attempted all of the weather challenges that went viral on the internet. We took hot water and threw it up into the air outside and watched it turn to a powdery substance. We also were able to blow bubbles with my little sister and watch them turn to ice and fall to the ground to bust. While the weather can cause school to be cancelled, grocery stores stay open. I work in a grocery store so it was an extreme hassle for me to get back and forth to work in the six inches of snow that stuck for roughly two weeks. While I love snow and adore it as my favorite type of weather, it makes driving extremely difficult. Upper east Tennessee was not the only place effected by the Polar Vortex. According to an article by Randy Mann, "Fayetteville, Ark., plunged to an all-time record low of minus 3 degrees on Jan. 7. Farther to the north, it was a brutal minus 15 degrees in Chicago and a dangerously cold minus 41 near Jordan, Mont., on Jan. 4 and 5. Temperatures near the Great Lakes ranged from minus 20 to minus 35 degrees with wind chills near minus 50 last week."
To begin with, the landing of the snow on the road caused many damages to them. This was because the levels on which the roads were raised were in different proportions. This, therefore, prevented lack of flow to be experienced on the roads. Moreover, the cracks that were observed on the roads came about because of the difference in the temperatures of the country.
An avalanche is a rapid movement of snow down a slope as a result of
A hurricane is caused when a large mass of air is warmed up and the