Officially, the National Weather Service defines a blizzard as a storm which contains large amounts of snow OR blowing snow, with winds in excess of 35 mph and visibilities of less than 1/4 mile for an extended period of time (at least 3 hours).
The National Weather Service defines a blizzard as a storm with large amounts of snow or blowing snow, winds greater than 35 mph (56 kph), and visibility of less than ¼ mile (0.4 km) for at least three hours.
A blizzard is a powerful snowstorm characterized by heavy snowfall and strong winds. A storm is classified as a blizzard when visibility is limited to 400 meters (0.25 miles) or less, winds reach speeds of 56 km/h (35 mph) or more, and the storm lasts for a sustained period of at least three hours.
What is a blizzard? At the Met Office we define a blizzard as moderate or heavy falling snow (either continuous or in the form of frequent showers) with winds speeds of 30 mph or more and a...