BLIZZARDS

HOW DOES A BLIZZARD FORM?

First cold air is needed to snow. For it to snow and get to the ground the tempeture needs to be cold, both on the ground level and up in the sky where snow flakes form. If ground level is to warm, the snow will melt in the air going down and change it to freezing rain.

Then moisture is need to form clouds and precipitation. Moisture in the air is water vapor, and air blowing across a body of water, like a lake or large pond, is a great source of water vapor. Going over a lake is how Lake Effect snow storms, that pick up so much moisture but cold Air is not able to hold much water vapor. Very cold air does not make much snow.

Warm rising air is heated to form clouds that cause precipitation. For a blizzard to form, warm air must rise over cold air. There are two ways this can happen, first winds pull cold air over from the equator from the poles and bring warm air toward the poles from the equator. When warm air and cold air are brought together a front is formed and precipitation occurs. Warm air can also rise to form clouds and blizzards at it flows up a mountain side.

WHAT IS A BLIZZARD?

• A severe snow storm.
• Average wind speed 35 MPH.
• Average precipitation 3.6
• Average air pressure is high atmospheric.

SEVERE BLIZZARD

In 1972, between Feb 3 & Feb 8, there was the worst blizzard recorded in history. It took place in western Iran. It snowed 26ft (the size of a two and half story building). The blizzard crushed cars, broke down telephone poles, and buried corn muter trains. The estimated size of the blizzard was the size of Wisconsin. It traveled through western Iran to Azerbaijan.

They were buried in snow for nearly a weak. When rescue workers came in, they were dropped on a snow drift and burrowed through 8 feet of snow. They were standing on a snow drift over the village 'Sheklab', they dug two days straight hoping to find people alive, but found 18 frozen bodies. Out of a population of 100, no one survived.

Another blizzard started up February 11th, forcing the rescue workers to leave the search. Army helicopters dropped two tons worth of bread over snow covered villages hopping survivors would tunnel to the top, not many did. After the blizzard was done, the death tole was 4,000 people, 200 villages wiped off the map and after this abnormal storm they had a four year drought which is very bizarre.