Blizzards

By:

Jenee McDonald

Blizzards are a combination of wind and snow. Usually

blizzards have heavy snow fall and severe cold, but not

always. Sometimes the strong winds pick up the remaining

snow from the last snowfall and causes a blizzard. The

National Weather System defines a blizzard as large amounts

of falling or blowing snow with winds of 35 mph.

Strong winds, cold temperature and the blizzard all

combined can create many dangers. Exposure to low wind

chill can result in frostbite or hyperthermia. Also,

blizzards can lead to power outages from the strong winds

and heavy snow. Also pipes can freeze and regular fuel

sources may be cut off. Ice can freeze power lines and

telephone lines, and freeze water pipes. Without these it

would make it difficult to survive the blizzard.

There's something not a lot of people know about

blizzards. As the tiny bits of ice are flying through the

air, they are evaporating. The farther they fly, the

smaller they get, so there for the strong winds help in how

much snow cumulates during the blizzard.

Something else bad that come from blizzards is the

cost. Moving snow with machines gets expensive. It costs

time, fuel, and equipment maintenance. An average figure

from highway departments around the USA was about 3$ per

ton, and with modern technology, it doesn't make it any

cheaper.

Another damage from all this is the floods. After

the snow melts, it runs into rivers nd oceans and floods the

land. Also it can make that land soggy to where it's hard

to grow things such as even grass. That leads me to the

worst damage the blizzards do.The worst damage of all is

that the blizzards on the high plains sweep off much of the

winters snow that might have replenished the land for things

to grow.