Winter storm facts for kids
Winter storms, also known as snowstorms, happen when warm, wet air meets very cold air. These huge air masses can be over 1,000 kilometers (about 620 miles) wide! They bring lots of snow, strong winds, and freezing temperatures.
Winter storms and blizzards can drop several feet of snow. This snow can then blow into very large drifts. Sometimes these snow drifts can be over ten feet tall, which is tall enough to cover a house!
How Winter Storms Form
Winter storms need two main things to form: cold air and moisture. In places like the Northeastern United States, warm, wet air often comes from the Gulf of Mexico. This air then mixes with cold air blowing down from the Arctic.
In the Northwest United States, warm, wet air from the Pacific Ocean moves inland. When this moist air is pushed upward by the mountains, it cools down. This cooling causes the moisture to turn into snow. Many different things can change how air masses move, how much moisture they carry, and their temperature. All these differences affect how strong a snowstorm will be.
Famous Winter Storms
Many big winter storms are part of North America's history. One famous story involves the Donner Party in 1846. This group of pioneers traveled by covered wagons from Illinois. They were headed for Sutter's Fort near Sacramento, California.
Because of some bad decisions and slow travel, they tried to cross the big Sierra Nevada Mountains in late October. Usually, California is still warm then. As the party crossed the mountains, they did not see any snow and were not worried.
However, after they passed, a huge snowstorm hit. The party was forced to camp near Truckee, California. The snow was so deep that their wagon wheels got stuck. They could not move anywhere. They tried to wait for the storm to end. But when one blizzard finished, another began right away. They did not have time to escape.
Their food became very low. Some people decided to hike out and find help instead of starving. Most of them died in the freezing weather. Many of those who stayed behind in the camp survived. Out of the 87 people who started in Illinois, only 47 lived.
Images for kids
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Heavy snowfall and strong winds during a 2016 blizzard, New York City.
