Ground blizzard

[2] While the term "ground blizzard" is often associated with intense blowing and drifting snow conditions, there are specific criteria which must be met.

[3] Environment Canada similarly maintains that widespread reduction of visibility to less than 400 meters due to snow and/or blowing snow and sustained wind speeds or gusts of 40 km/h or more must be present for at least 4 hours (6 hours for the Northwest Territories and Nunavut)[4] There are three different forms of ground blizzards: Ground blizzards occur throughout the world, however unlike other winter storms, topography either aids in their formation or prevention.

[citation needed] The environment must also support temperatures cold enough to prevent any snow on the ground from melting and bonding the ice crystals together.

Ground blizzards are common in the American Great Plains in the wake of snowstorms producing light, dry snowfall that is more easily picked up by strong winds.

[2] They are also common in the Canadian Prairies, Siberia, Northern China, and also Arctic and Antarctic regions during seasonal transition periods, such as the spring and fall.