Winter could bring blizzards, nor'easters, bomb cyclones: What to know

For those of us in chilly climes, the cold and snow of winter 2024 will soon arrive. Ready or not, news about winter storms, blizzards, nor'easters, bomb cyclones and lake-effect snow is around the corner.

Got your shovel handy? (And what do all those terms mean?)

Long-range climate predictions indicate that the snow could be flying fast and furious this coming winter in the Great Lakes states, the northern Rockies, and the Pacific Northwest, although no single snowstorm can be predicted more than a few days in advance.

Here's what to know about winter weather vocabulary:

What is a blizzard?

Did you know that a blizzard has a specific meteorological definition, according to the National Weather Service?

It's a storm that has blowing and/or falling snow with winds of at least 35 mph, which reduces visibilities to a quarter of a mile or less for at least three hours.

According to that definition, heavy snowfalls and severe cold aren't technically required for a blizzard. (Sometimes strong winds pick up snow that has already fallen, creating what's known as a ground blizzard.)

However, in popular usage, the term is often used for any heavy snowstorm accompanied by strong winds, the American Meteorological Society said.

What is a nor'easter?

Nor'easters are large, intense areas of low pressure that typically develop off the East Coast during the late fall, winter and early spring.

The storms are called "nor'easters" because they usually bring strong northeast winds over the East as they move north along the Atlantic Coast.

Nor'easters also often bring heavy rain, heavy snow and severe coastal flooding to the East.

Many nor'easters can produce blizzard conditions for a time, especially in New England.

What is a bomb cyclone?

A bomb cyclone, which is created through a process known as bombogenesis, is a severe winter storm.

Essentially a "winter hurricane," a bomb cyclone occurs when a storm rapidly intensifies, and its central barometric pressure drops at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. The lower the pressure of a storm, the higher its intensity, The Weather Channel reports.

Many of the most intense winter storms to batter the country's coasts have been bomb cyclones.

What is lake-effect snow?

When snow piles up in places such as Buffalo in western New York or Marquette in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, people start talking about the lake effect. But what, exactly, is lake-effect snow? How does it happen?

Lake-effect snow, which can last for only a few minutes to several days, develops from narrow bands of clouds that form when cold, dry arctic air passes over a large, relatively mild lake.

As the cold air passes over the unfrozen and "warm" waters of the Great Lakes, warmth and moisture are transferred into the lowest portion of the atmosphere, the National Weather Service says. The air rises, and clouds form and grow into narrow bands that produce 2 to 3 inches of snow an hour or more.

These snows typically occur only in the fall or early winter, before the lakes freeze over. (But if the lakes don't freeze, lake-effect snow can occur throughout the winter and into the spring.)

What is a winter storm warning and watch?

The National Weather Service uses specific alerts to warn of oncoming bad winter weather: A Winter Storm Watch is issued by the weather service when there is "the potential for significant and hazardous winter weather within 48 hours." This does not mean that significant and hazardous winter weather will occur ? it only means it is possible.

A Winter Storm Warning is issued, however, when "a significant combination of hazardous winter weather is occurring or imminent."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winter 2024 definitions for blizzard, nor'easter and bomb cyclone