Blizzard warning

A blizzard warning (SAME code: BZW) is a hazardous weather statement issued by Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) of the National Weather Service (NWS) in the United States, which indicates heavy snowfall accompanied by sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph (56 km/h) or greater are forecast to occur for a minimum of three hours.

A severe blizzard warning is a variation issued in some cases of winds above 45 mph (72 km/h) and temperatures below 10 °F (−12 °C).

Most local weather offices will activate and broadcast the SAME alarm tone on relevant NOAA Weather Radio stations for both varieties of warning.

As of 2010, blizzard warnings issued by local MSC forecast offices are based on sets of regionally determined criteria:[1] The warnings are relayed by Weatheradio Canada and media outlets like The Weather Network.

The following is an example of a blizzard warning issued by the National Weather Service Office in Duluth, Minnesota.

New York City police and Office of Emergency Management vehicles parked near Times Square in New York City during a 2015 blizzard warning .