U.S. Averages 11 Blizzards Annually, Most In Upper Plains

For more information on the following story, contact Robert Schwartz at [email protected] or (765) 285-1761.

U.S. AVERAGES 11 BLIZZARDS ANNUALLY, MOST IN UPPER PLAINS

MUNCIE, Ind. - Bone-chilling weather is just weeks away with most blizzards likely to occur in the northern plains, says a Ball State University climatologist.

North Dakota, South Dakota and western Minnesota led the nation in recorded blizzards in a review of severe winter weather from 1959-2000, said Robert Schwartz, a geography professor specializing in the study of blizzards.

"The continental U.S. averages about 11 blizzards a year with the worst occurring in the upper plains," he said. "The Red River Valley in eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota have the most recorded blizzards in the last four decades."

Counties in the Red River Valley average more than one blizzard each year with the annual probability of such a storm occurring at least 63 percent of the time. Fargo, N.D., has the highest probability rate at 76 percent with Grand Forks, N.D., at 71 percent and Minneapolis at 54 percent.

Other cities with high snowfall amounts but lower probability rates include Buffalo, 24 percent; New York, 20 percent; Cleveland, 15 percent; and Chicago, 7 percent.

According to the National Weather Service criteria, a blizzard must have either falling or blowing snow, visibility of less than one-quarter mile and sustained winds greater than 35 miles per hour. All conditions must last for a minimum of three hours to meet the definition.

"The worst blizzard in the continental U.S. was in January 1978 when a storm shut down the Midwest," Schwartz said. "A highly publicized storm that was not classified as a blizzard in some Southern states, due to the lack of sustained winds, occurred in 1993. Those Southern states recorded heavy amounts of snow, shutting them down for several days."

Nor'easters, or blizzards caused by winter storms along the eastern seaboard, also cause major problems, he said.

"Nor'easters cause large amounts of snow to fall on the major populations centers on the East Coast," Schwartz said. "What do you do with all that snow in a large city? Those areas also have to deal with power outages for millions of people. When a blizzard hits North Dakota, relatively few people are affected."

Schwartz said blizzards affect about 26 million Americans each year with property damage averaging about $551 million annually and crop damage at $26 million.

The study also found several Southern states without a recorded blizzard during the time span. The states include Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Schwartz at [email protected] or (765) 285-1761. For more stories, visit the Ball State University News Center at http://www.bsu.edu/news on the World Wide Web.)

Marc Ransford11-9-01