The Blizzard with Little Snow
Today is another of the many days I have spent in the North Carolina Mountains. Wow, what a winter. So far this season, parts of the northern mountains have recorded over 70” of snow. The road to my sons house has been impassable at times as a result of snow and ice.
As I jot down these thoughts, we are under a blizzard warning. This is the second blizzard warning issued for the area in as many weeks.
The weather conditions today are really interesting. At times, the sun peaks in and out, there is very little snow falling and it is quite light when it does. The big factor in the whole picture is the wind. Gusts over 45 miles per hour have been reported and stronger gusts have been measured at higher levels of elevation. When the wind blows, visibility can quickly drop to near zero as incredible waves of blowing snow cover the landscape and horizon.
The official National Weather Service definition of blizzard warning states the following:
Despite the hype we see on TV all the time, you do not have to experience heavy snow to be in a blizzard. The photo was captured from one of the remote cameras in the Boone area.
The grainy look is really blowing snow that at times makes the landscape disappears completely, making travel quite hazardous.
The area could see another storm develop early next week. Another blizzards perhaps, the system could bring another shot of wintry weather to those who anxiously await the arrival of spring.