Snowsquall

A snowsquall (or snow squall) is a sudden moderately heavy snow fall with blowing snow and strong, gusty surface winds. It is often referred to as a whiteout and is similar to a blizzard but is localized in time or in space and snow accumulations may or may not be significant.

Types

There are two primary types of snowsqualls, lake effect and frontal.

Lake effect snow

When arctic air moves over large expanses of warmer open waters in winter, convective clouds develop which cause heavy snow showers due to the large amount of moisture available. This occurs southwest of extratropical cyclones, with the curved cyclonic wind flow bringing cold air across the relatively warm Great Lakes which then leads to narrow lake effect snow bands that can produce significant localized snowfall.Whiteout conditions will affect narrow corridors from shores to inland areas aligned along the prevailing wind direction. This will be enhanced when the moving air mass is uplifted by higher elevations. The name originates from the Great Lakes area of North America, however any body of water can produce them. Regions in lee of oceans, such as the Canadian Maritimes could experience such snowsqualls.