Snow squalls

[LuvOrlando]

Do you get snow squalls where you are and if so can you share tips?

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/28/us/crash-pennsylvania-snow.html
Here in PA we get snow squalls often, I've been caught in a few with Sunday the most recent. I knew right away what was happening when fog started to set in and I kept seeing snowflakes sprinkle then vanish in the oddly warm air. There was so much peek a boo that my passenger never saw any until the squall was starting. They come so fast that it's tough to get off the road in time so I usually try to get to safety when I see those peekaboo snowflakes. Thing is I am not really sure my version of telltale signs is really useful - I felt really bad WAZE had no way to warn people, they only allow for fog and that wasn't enough.

There have been a few really bad ones in the past few years, a terrible one just this week

 

[CdnCarrie]

Not familiar with this term so looked it up. We do get heavy snow, blowing snow and whiteouts. Highways were shut done numerous times this winter due to visability. Not sure if that is the same thing or not.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I saw that accident. Horrific!

We get them. Hit a major one a couple of weeks ago.

That’s the time you have to be really careful driving, especially if the roads had been dry. The little bit of wetness mixes with oil and grease on the road and makes it especially slippery. Just take it slow and leave plenty of room between you and the cars around you, if you can. Hopefully we won’t see much more snow now!

 

[LuvOrlando]

Not familiar with this term so looked it up. We do get heavy snow, blowing snow and whiteouts. Highways were shut done numerous times this winter due to visability. Not sure if that is the same thing or not.

A squall is a bizarre kind of weather where a blizzard literally drops out of the sky in a small area dropping a ridiculous amount of snow then it vanishes. It's happened to me that I've gotten on a highway at one exit, hit a blizzard out of the blue with no weather report warning and then it's gone by the time I slowly make my way to the next exit.... if it sounds terrifying I can tell you it is terrifying.

I'm not sure if it has something to do with the mountains, where cold air from the mountains drops into the warmer air of a valley and then poof, it appears and then vanishes.

^It's like this from 2019, but you are in a car on a highway and suddenly you can't see

 

[kdonnel]

Another reason not to live somewhere that gets that cold.

No snow squalls here.

 

[CdnCarrie]

A squall is a bizarre kind of weather where a blizzard literally drops out of the sky in a small area dropping a ridiculous amount of snow then it vanishes. It's happened to me that I've gotten on a highway at one exit, hit a blizzard out of the blue with no weather report warning and then it's gone by the time I slowly make my way to the next exit.... if it sounds terrifying I can tell you it is terrifying.

I'm not sure if it has something to do with the mountains, where cold air from the mountains drops into the warmer air of a valley and then poof, it appears and then vanishes.

Then no we don't have those. Sounds horrendous.

 

[Stratman50th]

Off of I-4 between Orlando and Tampa. We don't have them here....

 

[Dan Murphy]

We do get 'lake effect' snow dumps here in Chicago area, though usually they are within maybe 5 miles of the Lake. We are 12 miles from the Lake and do get 'lake effect' dumps maybe once or twice a season. Similar to the squall you are talking about, LO. Quick, heavy and gone.

 

[EACarlson]

I had never heard the term before this winter. We had two NWS warnings of Snow Squalls in the span of about 3 weeks. At least here when they hit and the NWS issued the warnings we all got notifications on our phones like we do Tornado Warnings in the summer. I would tend to treat it the same as a torrential downpour. Hazards on, pull to the side of the road and wait for it to pass. If it's a snow squall it isn't going to last all that long because of how localized they are.
I think the issues on the roads has a lot to do with people aren't nearly as good of drivers as they think they are. I've driven commercial vehicles in blizzards, the idiotic things I'd see daily would shock a lot of people. I've said for years while doing that job I should get a dashcam and start a youtube channel, "You all drive like idiots and here is the evidence."

 

[mommasita]

I saw that accident also. Awful, just awful

Yes, we get them. It seems we have had a lot this past year, maybe more than any other year. Not much you can do, hazards on, keep your distance, drive slowly, if there is an exit, get off. Big if of course.

 

[PittPantherfan]

A squall is a bizarre kind of weather where a blizzard literally drops out of the sky in a small area dropping a ridiculous amount of snow then it vanishes. It's happened to me that I've gotten on a highway at one exit, hit a blizzard out of the blue with no weather report warning and then it's gone by the time I slowly make my way to the next exit.... if it sounds terrifying I can tell you it is terrifying.

I'm not sure if it has something to do with the mountains, where cold air from the mountains drops into the warmer air of a valley and then poof, it appears and then vanishes.

^It's like this from 2019, but you are in a car on a highway and suddenly you can't see

Believe it or not, in this PA situation it could have been triggered by the Great Lakes and more of a "lake effect" event, as we call it. Even down that far in PA, just depends on how strong the wind is and how the wind comes across Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The cold air from Canada picks up moisture from the open lakes (this time of year they are no longer frozen) in bands or pockets and then it drops downwind. It can get hung up on the mountain ridges as well. Yesterday it was like popcorn all over northern PA and NY, most of the time it's long bands. I was watching weather radar because was driving from PA to West Point.

Not much advice on what to do but main thing is to slow down, all lights on -not just daytime running lights - and flashers. If an exit - I'd get off until it passes. Pay attention. Stay off phone, Waze is not going to help you. You are really at the mercy of those around you.

 

[mrodgers]

A squall is a bizarre kind of weather where a blizzard literally drops out of the sky in a small area dropping a ridiculous amount of snow then it vanishes. It's happened to me that I've gotten on a highway at one exit, hit a blizzard out of the blue with no weather report warning and then it's gone by the time I slowly make my way to the next exit.... if it sounds terrifying I can tell you it is terrifying.

I lived near I-80 and it was the main roadway we used for half our non-commute driving. The terrifying part is slowing down because of the visibility only to feel and not be able to even see the cars that are now rocking your car as they fly past still at 80 mph.

 

[mrs. magoo]

We get these often in Western NY - People know to slow down when you are approaching one. We just had squalls this week as well and it took people double the amount of time to get to their destination. If I was driving on the highway I would get off at the next exit if the squall was still going on and wait it out. They usually only last a short amount of time.

 

[adkkev]

Another reason not to live somewhere that gets that cold.

No snow squalls here.

I haven’t seen anywhere yet with “perfect” weather regardless of the temperature.

 

[RUDisney]

The accident made the news in India. I had friends reaching out to make sure that my family and I were ok. We live 45-60 minutes away and it was bright and sunny here when it was squalling in the Frackville area.

 

[_19disnA]

Regardless of the specific name for various weather events, in parts of the country where snow/cold weather happen in the Winter, you need to use common sense and SLOW DOWN when visibility is reduced. Terms like blizzard, white-out, snow squall, lake effect snow, all result in limited visibility and can happen suddenly. Not just snow, but things like fog can suddenly appear in some areas making it difficult to see what is ahead of you. Some areas can have fog year round just because of the terrain and the right types of climate conditions. People tend to drive way too fast for the conditions where there is limited visibility and then it is too late to try to stop when you suddenly realize there is an accident ahead of you blocking the lanes. Seems most people have no sense of how long it takes to stop when traveling at speed on a freeway.

I saw some of the video from that event on the weather channel and both cars and trucks seemed to be driving the normal freeway speeds even though it was clear that visibility was very poor.

 

[Snowysmom]

That accident in PA was tragic. How awful. In New England we get snow squalls. I got caught in one last month on route 495. You could see it coming and nowhere to go. Thankfully everyone slowed down, put on flashers, and stayed in their lanes. We all got through it without an accident. It was a Saturday afternoon so not rush hour traffic.