What you should do during a snow squall warning
Story at a glance
- A snow squall is a quick weather hazard that usually only lasts about 30 minutes to an hour.
- These are dangerous for people on the road, as they can cause sudden whiteout conditions along with icy roads and gusty winds within minutes, even if the snow only has minor accumulation.
- A snow squall warning is an alert to the public, but these alerts have changed in recent years.
DENVER (KDVR) — From light snowfall to whiteout conditions in minutes, snow squalls are especially dangerous on the road.
If a snow squall warning pops up on your phone, here is what it means and what you should do.
Snow squalls: Fast whiteout conditions
A snow squall is a quick weather hazard that usually only lasts about 30 minutes to an hour, according to the National Weather Service.
These are dangerous for people on the road, as they can cause sudden whiteout conditions along with icy roads and gusty winds within minutes, even if the snow only has minor accumulation.
If there's a snow squall in your area, you may see a notification for it.
Snow squall warnings
A snow squall warning is an alert to the public, but these alerts have changed in recent years.
In the past, snow squall warnings triggered a Wireless Emergency Alert, which are notifications on mobile devices. However, they are no longer triggered as often because these alerts are now only used for high-impact snow squalls, according to NWS.
For the 2023 to 2024 season, NWS issued Impact-Based Warning Tags, which specify the impact of the snow squall. While there may still be a notification for the snow squall, the tags will show how serious the conditions are as well as if these conditions are forecasted or confirmed.
NWS provided a chart that explains each tag:
What to do during a snow squall
If you receive a snow squall warning in your area, the NWS suggests avoiding or delaying travel until the squall passes. But sometimes these are unavoidable if you're already on the road.
NWS says there's truly no safe spot on the highway during a snow squall.
However, if you're already on the road and you're experiencing whiteout conditions, the NWS recommends reducing your speed, turning on your headlights and hazard lights, giving the car in front of you plenty of space and avoiding slamming on your brakes.