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WEATHER

Another Utah snowstorm has us asking, what is a snow squall?

UPDATED: MARCH 24, 2023 AT 1:21 PM
BY
KSL NewsRadio Staff

The latest on Utah weather and traffic:

 

SALT LAKE CITY — Some Utahns faced a snow squall with white-out conditions during their morning commutes as a snowstorm made its way through the state.

The National Weather Service Salt Lake issued a warning about the conditions Friday morning.


 

 The snow squall only lasted about 20 minutes. But, the NWS said we’re not out of the woods yet.

What’s a snow squall?

“It’s typically associated with a strong cold front like the one we had today,” NWS Meteorologist Hayden Mahan told KSL.

“It moves in, and it moves out relatively quickly.”

Mahan said that a snow squall can create sudden white-out conditions and can ice up the roads in a matter of minutes.

Blizzards vs. snow squalls

The NWS says blizzards are typically associated with longer-lasting storms. 

Blizzards can last for hours, the NWS told KSL NewsRadio. They can still occur even without snow falling, as long as the wind is strong enough to pick up the snow on the ground.

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