Facebook friend Susan Powell wrote: “I would like to know why this has been called a blizzard instead of just a bad snow?”
She’s probably not the only one confused. It isn’t necessarily a function of how much snow falls. The standard definition of a blizzard is:
Winds of at least 35 mph (frequent gusts are generally considered to qualify), and visibility reduced by falling and/or blowing snow to less than 1/4 mile. The strict application is for the wind and visibility criteria to be met for at least three consecutive hours.
It was in anticipation of those conditions that the Indy weather service office issued a Blizzard Warning for some (not all) of Central Indiana.
At the Indy Airport the visibility looks like it was a quarter-mile or less for two and a half consecutive hours today, by my unofficial count. Close?
The wind gust criteria does appear to have been satisfied in the late morning.
In other words: it would seem to be a borderline blizzard.
Think of it this way: not every hurricane is Katrina. Closer to home? You can gauge every tornado by an EF-5, but if it meets the description, the Weather Service is still gonna call an EF-0 a tornado…and not every blizzard is the Blizzard Of ’78. That’ll always be may favorite. It got me out of school for a week.