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A Blizzard Watch is an advisory issued by the National Weather Service of the United States which means winds greater than 35 miles per hour (30 kn/56 km/h), mixed with falling or blowing snow, and visibilities of 1/4 miles (0.4 km) or less is forecasted for a period of 3 hours or more. A blizzard watch is issued 36 to 12 hours before an expected blizzard event.
[edit] Example of a blizzard watch
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
1037 AM CST THU FEB 7 2008
...BLIZZARD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT
THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON...
A BLIZZARD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH
SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
A STRONG ARCTIC FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE EAST OF THE RED RIVER
VALLEY LATE FRIDAY NIGHT...BRINGING A SURGE OF WIND AND COLD AIR
WITH IT. NORTHWEST WINDS GUSTING TO 45 MPH ARE POSSIBLE...WHICH
WOULD CAUSE NEAR ZERO VISIBILITIES DUE TO BLOWING SNOW...
ESPECIALLY IN OPEN COUNTRY. ONLY AN INCH OR SO OF NEW SNOW IS
EXPECTED...BUT THIS ALONG WITH SOME FRESH SNOW ALREADY ON THE
GROUND...WOULD LIKELY BE ENOUGH TO CAUSE GROUND BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS. MILD TEMPERATURES ON FRIDAY WILL BE REPLACED BY
SUBZERO READINGS BY SATURDAY MORNING. THIS WILL RESULT IN
DANGEROUS WIND CHILL VALUES...RANGING FROM 20 BELOW TO 40 BELOW
ZERO BY SATURDAY MORNING.
A BLIZZARD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FALLING AND/OR
BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND EXTREMELY POOR VISIBILITIES.
THIS CAN LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND MAKE TRAVEL VERY
DANGEROUS.
$$
TG/KD
[edit] See also
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