Heat Wave Continues in the West; Critical Fire Weather Conditions in the High Plains

An anomalously early heat wave will continue to intensify and expand across the West and Southwest as the week progresses. Numerous daily and potentially monthly record highs are expected to be broken. Critical fire weather conditions will continue over the next couple of days across portions of the High Plains as gusty winds and dry conditions persist. Read More >

Winter Weather Awareness

Staying Safe

Mantenerse Seguro

Winter Products

Cold Season Precipitation Types

Climatology

How do the various forms of winter precipitation develop when when temperatures at or above the surface dip below freezing?

Snow	Sleet	Freezing Rain
Flurries: Light snow falling for short durations. No accumulation or light dusting is all that is expected. Showers: Snow falling at varying intensities for brief periods of time. Some accumulation is possible. Squalls: Brief, intense snow showers accompanied by strong, gusty winds. Accumulation may be significant. Blowing Snow: Wind driven-snow that reduces visibility and causes significant drifting. Blowing snow may be snow that is falling and/or loose snow on the ground that is picked up by the wind. Blizzard: Winds over 35 mph with snow and blowing snow reducing visibility to near zero.	Rain drops that freeze into ice pellets before reaching the ground. Sleet usually bounces when hitting a surface and does not stick to objects. However, it can accumulate like snow and cause a hazard to motorist.	Rain that falls onto a surface with a temperature below freezing. This causes it to freeze to surfaces, such as trees, cars, and roads, forming a coating or glaze of ice. Even small accumulations of ice can cause a significant hazard.

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