1400 oe so dry, windy - E - mother with pushchair walked past - 1405
very dark then driving snow with an easterly [1] which had stopped by
1410.

Now partly blue shy to E, row of cu-nims - caulflower heads on grey
base- I think - going away fast to W.


[1] Wind direction here is subject to the shape of the hillside.
--
Peter Thomas

I don't think 5 mins counts as a blizzard, you mean a heavy snow
shower right ?

On Thu, 17 Dec 2009 06:31:22 -0800 (PST), MahFL wrote:

I don't think 5 mins counts as a blizzard, you mean a heavy snow
shower right ?

Quite a blizzard needs a hefty wind as well as snow:

Met Office site:

"Moderate or heavy snow accompanied by winds of 30 m.p.h. or more,
with visibility reduced to 200 m or less; or drifting snow giving
rise to similar
conditions."

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/...s.html?zoneid=
79042

30mph is just under F7.

Oh it's snowing again, cleaned the step of an inch first thing,
another 3" or so about 1300 and it's now got another inch on it. 'tis
in a bit of a trap for the given wind direction though.

Currently: -2.1C F4 ENE Snowing

Just about to go and collect son from primary school, they stayed
open but the secondary closed at luch time and thats when the buses
ran. Secondary school closed tommorow.

Where's me shovel?

--
Cheers Dave.
Nr Garrigill, Cumbria. 421m ASL.

In message
,
MahFL writes
I don't think 5 mins counts as a blizzard, you mean a heavy snow
shower
....

Quotes are from http://weatherfaqs.org.uk/node/43

'Blizzard`

[for the U.K. Met Office only - other services will have different
criteria and the definition has changed over time; it has not always
been so strictly defined] "

The simultaneous occurrence of moderate or heavy snowfall with winds of
at least force 7, causing drifting snow and reduction of visibility to
200 m or less". '

Had the moderate or heavy snowfall, probably had the wind speed
channelled here, had reduction of visibility, not long enough for
drifting to be observed, though.

So lacked duration. Wind and snow intense. Is there such a thing as a
snow squall?


(Moderate snow is said to occur when the visibility is 'substantially'
impaired, and the snow cover increases in depth at a rate up to about 4
cm per hour. Heavy snow should reduce the visibility to a 'low value'
(in the low hundreds of metres), and the snow cover increases at a rate
exceeding 4 cm per hour. )
--
Peter Thomas