What is a snow squall warning?

As scattered cells of moderate to heavy snow moved through Central Ohio Wednesday evening, phones lit up with weather alerts from the 10TV app. This wasn't the usual winter weather alert though, this one was a Snow Squall Warning.

While these kinds of alerts are not new this year, they are far less common than other forms of winter alerts and have only existed in Central Ohio since 2018. In fact, the last alert issued by the Wilmington NWS Office, the one that covers Columbus, was back in 2022.

So, what are these alerts and what do you need to know about them? Let's break it down!

The radar image above highlights the Snow Squall Warnings from Wednesday night, and you'll notice it almost looks like a severe thunderstorm style alert, but with snow on the radar.

In fact, that mindset is a good way to think of snow squalls. These are going to be fast moving, rapidly changing, and highly impactful clusters of snow that move through quickly, almost like a severe thunderstorm in the spring and summer.

Like a severe weather warning, these alerts mean you should immediately modify your behavior and take steps to keep safe from changing weather conditions. In this case, if traveling, pull over and wait out the impending snowfall. Visibility reductions and rapid snow accumulation may create highly difficult, if not impossible, travel conditions and dangers. The good news, things will improve in less than an hour in most cases.

The image below shows the key aspects to a snow squall.

Unlike typical winter storms, these events are not alerted for well in advance and cannot be predicted with as much lead time or locational detail as more widespread winter storms. They also impact a smaller area for a shorter period of time.

The key message is use caution when you get these alerts. Slow down, take it easy, stop for a few minutes, and avoid driving through the worst conditions. It can be easy to underestimate how quickly these conditions can worsen, and such weather patterns can be prime situations for pileups on the highway.

In fact, the National Weather Service says "There truly is no safe place on the highway during a snow squall."

Stay safe out there this winter Central Ohio, and stick with the 10 Weather Impact Team to get you through all the tricky weather in the months ahead!

-- Meteorologist Michael Behrens

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