Types of winter storms
Winter Weather Awareness Week in Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - For the second day of winter weather awareness week, we’re talking about winter storms. In the Midwest, our winter storms are most often one of two types.
The first is a Colorado Low: the storm system develops in the Rockies and moves northeast across the country, with snow falling to the north of its track. These storms typically move a bit slower and can bring snow that lasts over 24 hours. Because of this, these are typically the systems that bring us the highest snow totals. Temperatures are usually a bit milder with these types of storms.
The second type of winter storm we see is an Alberta Clipper. As you can guess from the name, these systems move very quickly out of Canada and bring quick hits of snow. Since they’re coming from the north, colder air usually follows behind these systems.
Of course, other types of systems can bring us snowy weather during the winter months, but these are the main two that impact us in the Midwest. This gives you a little window into what our First Alert Weather team looks at when forecasting winter storms.
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