10 Facts about Blizzards

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Ever wonder why blizzards exist in some country and not in the other side of the world? Well, Blizzards are natural phenomenon and every person may have similar question as yours. Whether or not you are living in a country where blizzards exist, the following facts about blizzard will surely blow your mind.

Fact #1: The most destructive Blizzard in the 20th century occurred in March 1993, stretching from Canada to mid-America. It took approximately 300 lives and caused 10 million power outages. However, the worst blizzard recorded in Canadian history was the Saskatchewan blizzard which struck the country and paralyzed many towns in 2007.

Fact #2: Blizzards normally occurs in cold areas such as U.S. Australia, and the UK. It forms from jet stream and during cold winter snow, accompanied by strong winds. Blizzards can destroy buildings, cover roads in ice, and freeze anyone who wanders outside.

Fact #3: The Iran Blizzard which occurred in 1972 was the first of its kind to occur in a tropical country killing over 4, 000 people in a matter of 3 days. The blizzard covered the roads and plain lands with 10 feet of snow and burying thousands of people and livestock.

Fact #4:  A person or animal that stays outside during a blizzard is at risk of suffering from hypothermia, or lessening of oxygen in the body caused by freezing blood flow. When traveling to a blizzard prone area, it is highly recommended to bring an emergency kit.

Fact #5: Blizzards are always preceded by “Winter Storm Watch.” It means that people have to prepare for strong winter storm, which may turn into a blizzard. Electricity supply may be also cut off so every household must have disaster and risk management tools and first aid kits.

Fact #6: Blizzards are classified into two categories. Severe blizzards are very strong blizzards coming original sources, with over 45mph speed of wind and 10F temperature and zero visibility. Ground blizzard may happen in a place even in the absence of winter snow. It occurs when snow from the ground are blown by strong winds, causing other to be covered with ice.

Fact #7: Rochester, New York is said to be the largest city in the United States that is known to have the most snow with an average of 94 inches of snow accumulating in a year. It also holds the records of the most deadly blizzards in history such as the 2010-2011 winter storms which covered the city with 56.1 inches of snow.

Fact #8: Blizzard is coined from its own description which means “strong, sustained snowstorm.” It came to usage in United States in 1880 to 1881. According to historians, the word is more onomatopœic and is strong related to “blaze” or “blizz.” Although blaze is more commonly use to describe a wide raging fire, it is also use to describe a highly destructive and sustained storm.

Fact #9: The fear o f snow is known as Chionophobia. The word comes from a Greek word chion which means “snow” and the phobia which means “fear.” It is often caused by a strong traumatic event in childhood that a person becomes too intimated with snow.

Fact #10: A typical piece of snowflake has six sides and is made up of 180 billion of water molecules. It does not have any color but as the sun reflects light over a cape of snow, the latter appears to be whitish and cystallic. When winter ends, blizzards turn into water leaving some roads flooded and lakes even more full than it has been.

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