Millions of people are hearing a buzz in their pockets, looking down at their phones, and wondering, "What is a snow squall warning?"
A wall of wispy snow envelops the sky minutes later, obliterating everything in sight and terrifying unwary vehicles.
Snow Squall Warning
A snow squall warning is a notice sent to inhabitants in affected regions of an extreme burst of winter weather on its way, bringing with it a rush of blanketing snow that can reduce visibility to virtually nothing.
It may be a fantastic rush, as many individuals in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast found personally in February 2022.
However, why are snow squalls so hazardous?
"Although snow accumulations are typically an inch or less," the National Weather Service said, "the added combination of gusty winds, falling temperatures, and rapid reductions in visibility can cause hazardous conditions for motorists."
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Video Footages
Dramatic video footage from recent snow squalls has highlighted precisely how terrifying that moment can be for a driver.
The abrupt whiteout may catch drivers off guard, with circumstances suddenly altering on a dime. Chaos can result if they don't know how to deal with the sudden shift in weather.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski recently took footage.
Sosnowski claims he was going about 25 mph when the skies turned white near State College, Pennsylvania, and thay even if he was going at a moderate pace, the visibility has quickly changed from unlimited to only a hundred feet.
This happened in mede seconds, making it significantly challenging for cars that were moving up yo 70 mph on interstates.
Advising Driver
When a driver is trapped in a squall, the greatest defense, according to Sosnowski, is to "wait it out" by quitting the highway or choosing side routes where driving at a modest pace is safer.
He added that on interstates, the issue is the pressure drivers feel about traveling at high speed regardless of the weather.
Sosnowski said drivers should continue verifying weather predictions during their travel, noting that snow squall occurrences are accurately forecasted and conveyed via NWS warnings and on-road signs.
The AccuWeather app gives consumers real-time information on NWS weather alerts, frequently quicker than the NWS can distribute.
"Motorists must recognize that, for the most part, interstates are a safe mode of transportation," he stated. "Because of the high travel speeds involved, there are better, safer options when there is severe rain, snow, or ice."
This dangerous combination has resulted in deadly incidents and pileups in many parts of the country in recent years.
A blizzard in Wisconsin in 2021 wreaked havoc on Interstate 41 near Slinger, resulting in the deaths of approximately 50 people.
The wintry burst happened on April 21, long after winter had finished.
Trajectory
In mid-February, a notable snowstorm in Pennsylvania resulted in many incidents in Schuylkill County, including one run of wrecks involving more than a dozen automobiles.
Apart from those collisions and a few other traffic accidents, the region touched by the squall line, which stretched from Milwaukee to the Eastern Seaboard, was spared any fatalities.
However, the snow squall left its imprint in many regions, including major Northeast towns like Boston.
The dramatic photographs of the squall's 10-minute whiteout, recorded on social media, will be remembered for a long time.
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