BLIZZARD

A Blizzard: is a severe winter storm condition characterized by low temperatures, strong winds, and heavy blowing snow. Blizzards are formed when a high pressure system, also known as a ridge, interacts with a low pressure system; this results in the advection of air from the high pressure zone into the low pressure area.

Some areas are more likely to experience blizzards than others, but blizzards may occur anywhere there are snow and high winds. In North America, blizzards are particularly common to the extreme portions of the Northeastern United States, the Northern Great Plains in the United States, Atlantic Canada, and the Canadian Prairie Provinces. Blizzard conditions also occur frequently in the mountain ranges in western North America, however, since these regions are sparsely populated, they are often not reported.
Worldwide, blizzards often occur across Russia, and into the northern reaches of Europe. They have also been known to occur across the United Kingdom, although severe winter storms there are less common due to the maritime influences of the Northern Atlantic Ocean.