What is a Snow Squall?

Sudden and intensely blinding snow that remains localized in a relatively small area is a snow squall. In addition, squalls are characterized by very strong gusty winds. While there can be very little snow accumulation or a lot of snow accumulation, snow squalls can be dangerous because of the "whiteout" conditions that can occur. Driving in a whiteout can cause multi-car pileups on the road and accidents are common. Lake effect snow squalls often form in bands covering only a small area. You can see an example of the small bands of snow in this satellite picture of lake effect snow.

A snow squall is just one of 8 different classifications of winter storms. From flurries to blizzards, winter weather forecasts should never be ignored. Read more about the 8 types of winter storms...