How are blizzards measured and classified?

To be categorized as a blizzard, the storm must last for at least three hours and produce a large amount of falling snow. Blizzards also have winds measuring over 56 kilometers (35 miles) per hour.

What instruments are used to measure blizzards?

A snow gauge is a type of instrument used by meteorologists and hydrologists to gather and measure the amount of solid precipitation (as opposed to liquid precipitation that is measured by a rain gauge) over a set period of time.

How do meteorologists categorize the severity of blizzards?

The five categories are Extreme, Crippling, Major, Significant, and Notable. The NESIS scale differs from the hurricane and tornado ranking scales in that it uses the number of people affected to assign its ranking.

Is there a measurement scale for blizzards?

Overview. While the Fujita and Saffir-Simpson Scales characterize tornadoes and hurricanes respectively, there is no widely used scale to classify snowstorms.

How is snow base measured?

It is taken by measuring the total depth of snow on exposed ground at a permanently-mounted snow stake or by taking the average of several depth readings at or near the normal point of observation with a measuring stick.

How is inches of snow measured?

How to Measure: Push the yardstick straight into the snow, perpendicular to the ground, until the yardstick reaches the snow board. Record the measurement to the nearest tenth of an inch; e.g. 3.3 inches. Keep track of all your measurements for the duration of the storm so you can report the storm total amount.

Is there a scale to measure a blizzard?

A blizzard is one type of storm that has no scale in which to measure its intensity. A blizzard’s strength is measured by an estimate based off of total snowfall and wind speeds.

How do scientists measure winter storms?

Satellite images are very useful tools for determining cloud patterns and movement of winter storms. By looping a series of satellite pictures together, forecasters can watch a storm’s development and movement. With this information, forecasters can clearly identify rain, hail, snow, ice pellets and even bugs.

What was the worst blizzard in US history?

The Great Blizzard of 1888
Notable nor’easters include The Great Blizzard of 1888, one of the worst blizzards in U.S. history. It dropped 100–130 cm (40–50 in) of snow and had sustained winds of more than 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) that produced snowdrifts in excess of 50 feet (15 m).

How do you rank a blizzard?

The scale was developed by meteorologists Paul Kocin and Louis Uccellini, and ranks snowstorms from Category 1 (“notable”) to Category 5 (“extreme”). Only two historical blizzards, the 1993 Storm of the Century and the North American blizzard of 1996 are rated in the 5 “extreme” category.

What is an inch of snow?

10 -12 inches
If we ignore other factors, then one inch of snow is approximately equal to 10 -12 inches of snow.