More than 5,000 flights have been cancelled across the northeastern United States as a major snowstorm descends on the region, according to the BBC.
The National Weather Service defines a blizzard as a winter storm characterized by heavy snowfall or blowing snow combined with sustained winds of 35 mph (56 km/h) or greater, reducing visibility to less than a quarter of a mile (402 meters) for a duration of three hours or more.
The geographical areas most prone to blizzard conditions within the U.S. Are the Great Plains and the Midwest, specifically a region known as “Blizzard Alley.” This area encompasses parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, southeastern Wyoming, and eastern Colorado. The relatively flat terrain and lack of substantial tree cover in these states contribute to the intensification of wind and the widespread dispersal of blowing snow.
Recent York City has not experienced a blizzard warning in nearly a decade, with the last such warning issued in March 2017. Philadelphia last faced a blizzard warning in January 2016, whereas the entire state of New Jersey was last under a blizzard warning in 1996.
The current storm follows a significant snowfall event in January that deposited almost a foot of snow across New York City. However, that earlier storm lacked the necessary wind speeds to qualify as a blizzard.
A blizzard dubbed “Snowzilla” impacted the region in 2016, dropping over 27 inches of snow on New York City, according to the National Weather Service.
