Q 01/05

Under the US National Weather Service definition, a blizzard needs sustained winds or gusts of at least how many mph?

A) 55 mph

B) 45 mph

C) 35 mph

D) 74 mph

Answer · why

C) 35 mph

The National Weather Service requires sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph (56 km/h) or more together with falling or blowing snow that cuts vi...

Q 02/05

How far must visibility fall for a snowstorm to count as a blizzard in the United States?

A) One mile or less at most

B) Half a mile or less

C) One hundred feet or less

D) A quarter mile or less

Answer · why

D) A quarter mile or less

US criteria require visibility frequently reduced to a quarter mile (400 metres) or less by falling or blowing snow; a storm with deep snow but better...

Q 03/05

What distinguishes a 'ground blizzard' from an ordinary one?

A) Heavy snow falls but with no wind at all present

B) It stays confined to mountain valleys and passes

C) It forms only over the ice of frozen lakes

D) Old snow blown by wind, with nothing falling

Answer · why

D) Old snow blown by wind, with nothing falling

No precipitation falls at the time; loose surface snow simply gets picked up, which is why the Northern Plains can have whiteouts under clear skies.

Q 04/05

The Oxford English Dictionary suggests 'blizzard' is onomatopoeic and related to which words?

A) Blow, blast, blister and bluster

B) Bliss, blend, blur, blush and blather

C) Blitz, blight, blank, bleak and blither

D) Blaze, blink, blanch, blench and blither

Answer · why

A) Blow, blast, blister and bluster

The OED judges 'blizzard' probably onomatopoeic, akin to blow, blast, blister and bluster; the word spread through American newspapers during the hard...

Q 05/05

A 'severe blizzard' has winds over 45 mph, near-zero visibility, and temperatures at or below what?

A) 10 °F (−12 °C)

B) −20 °F (−29 °C)

C) 0 °F (−18 °C)

D) −10 °F (−23 °C)

Answer · why

A) 10 °F (−12 °C)

The National Weather Service's 'severe blizzard' category requires temperatures of 10 °F (−12 °C) or lower alongside winds above 45 mph and near-zero ...