Blizzard Facts for Kids

Do you know what a blizzard is? A blizzard is a winter storm that produces strong winds, snow, and often ice. There are super interesting blizzard facts for kids. You can download a FREE packet at the bottom of the post to read and complete the puzzles.

Blizzards can occur during any time of the year and are very dangerous to humans, plants, and animals. People and pets may become trapped in their homes as a result of heavy snow. Enough snow is produced by blizzards to cover entire shrubs, bushes, and trees.

Blizzards also bring high wind speeds to an area, which can be enough to damage trees, power lines, and communication systems. People can lose power in their homes and cars.

The most dangerous blizzards often knock out the power for several days, leaving many people without heat. This can be extremely dangerous as the sub-zero temperatures can cause hypothermia and frostbite, especially when exposed to the cold for longer amounts of time.

Blizzard Facts for Kids – The Great Blizzard of 1888

The Great Blizzard of 1888 caused over 400 deaths between the United States and Canada. Blizzards have been proven to be dangerous through high death tolls, extremely low temperatures, and acres of property damage. Learn more by reading this blog post where we discuss 15 fun facts about blizzards!

Dangers of Blizzards

Blizzards are often accompanied by strong winds, which can lead to dangerous conditions. High winds caused by blizzards have been recorded to cause lots of property damage, including knocking down power lines. When power lines are knocked down, the power will often go out. This can leave homes without heat and light.

Could you imagine living in darkness? How about in the cold?

Blizzards can lead to extremely low temperatures. Not only can power outages lead to low temperatures, but the wind chill from blizzards can too. Temperatures can quickly drop to below zero during a blizzard. Oftentimes these sub-zero temperatures will cause hypothermia and frostbite.

Hypothermia happens when your body heat drops below a certain temperature. Frostbite occurs when your skin freezes. Ouch!

Heavy snow from blizzards can also cause whiteout conditions, which make it difficult to see anything more than a few feet in front of you – even with windshield wipers! This is known as zero visibility and can cause lots of car accidents and traffic accidents.

Characteristics of Blizzards

A blizzard is different from a snowstorm because it must meet certain criteria, such as sustained wind speeds of at least 35 mph and low visibility of less than ¼ mile for three hours. If you walked outside during a blizzard, you might get blown away. That’s because the wind is blowing faster than your car!

Blizzards are caused by a large amount of cold and moist air. Warm air must rise over cold air to create these dangerous weather conditions. Blizzards are more common than people think.

A ground blizzard can also occur, which refers to a weather condition where loose snow or ice on the ground is lifted and blown by a strong and heavy wind. A ground blizzard in the artic is very similar to a sandstorm in the desert.

Have you ever seen it rain and snow at the same time? That could’ve been a blizzard. While known for low temperatures and heavy snowfalls, blizzards are also often accompanied by heavy rains, which can lead to severe flooding and increased fatalities.

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History of Blizzards

The first documented blizzard occurred in China in 112 BC. The most recent blizzard occurred on March 4th, 2021 in the United States. It affected areas of South Dakota, North Dakota, Washington State, and many other northern states.

A blizzard can last for several days and cause significant amounts of snowfall. In 1921, a severe blizzard in Boulder City, Colorado dropped over six feet of snow in less than 24 hours making it the biggest single-day snowfall in U.S. History.

Could you imagine snow taller than you?

Blizzards can cause power outages, transportation delays, and even fatalities. The deadliest blizzard in the United States was the Great Blizzard of 1888, which affected areas along the upper east coast of the United States and central Canada. The extreme weather and heavy snow resulted in over 400 deaths.

Have you ever heard the terms “snowstorm”, “winter storm”, and “whiteout”? Those are some common terms for blizzards. The Great Blizzard of 1993 became known as the “storm of the century” and was one of the worst blizzards in history.

More Blizzard Facts for Kids!

The word “blizzard” is derived from the Dutch word “bise”, which means “north wind”.

The heaviest snowstorms in the United States occur in the Northeast region, which includes the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Was your hometown ever affected by a blizzard?

A blizzard is considered a natural disaster weather event. Oftentimes weather services will send out a blizzard watch or a blizzard warning when there is a storm arriving soon.

Although they are most common in the winter when there are colder temperatures, blizzards can occur any time of year. In fact, spring blizzards are more common than people think.

Questions and Answers – Blizzard Trivia for Kids

Now that you’ve read these fun facts about blizzards, let’s test your knowledge with some questions.

What is a blizzard? A blizzard is a dangerous winter storm that brings very strong winds and heavy snow.

How do you know when there’s going to be a blizzard? Blizzards usually form when two cold fronts collide.

What kind of weather conditions does a blizzard have? A blizzard has high winds, low visibility, and deep snow.

Can you go outside in a blizzard? No, it’s not safe to go outside during a blizzard. Going outside can be very dangerous because of the high winds and deep snow. The high winds could knock you down, the low visibility makes it hard to see where you’re going, and the deep snow can make walking difficult or impossible.

Remember, blizzards can happen anytime, anywhere so be sure to stay safe. Remain inside and avoid travel. Try to keep warm and entertain yourself if you can!

What is Included in the Snowstorm FREE PDF?

This 9-page FREE blizzard facts for kids packet includes:

4 pages of blizzard facts for kids to read
Find the Differences Worksheet + solution
Let it Snow Coloring Page
Blizzard Word Search with Solution

THIS FREE BLIZZARD FACTS FOR KIDS PACKET ENCOURAGES:

literacy
vocabulary
fine motor skills
visual motor skills
visual discrimination skills

HOW TO ACCESS THE FREE BLIZZARD FACTS FOR KIDS PACKET

1. Sign up to receive the weekly newsletter and other announcements from Growing Play at the bottom of this post. If you already subscribe, just enter your email and you will get access to the freebie too!

2. Download the fun, high-quality printable blizzard facts for kids packet.

3. Kids can read the facts and complete the activities!