Whiteout (weather)

Whiteout or white-out[1] is a weather condition in which visibility and contrast are severely reduced by snow, fog, or sand.

A whiteout may be due simply to extremely heavy snowfall rates as seen in lake effect conditions, or to other factors such as diffuse lighting from overcast clouds, mist or fog, or a background of snow.

A person traveling in a true whiteout is at significant risk of becoming completely disoriented and losing their way, even in familiar surroundings.

[2][3][better source needed] Whiteout conditions pose threats to mountain climbers, skiers, aviation, and mobile ground traffic.

Local, short-duration whiteout conditions can be created artificially in the vicinity of airports and helipads due to aircraft operations.