Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Winter Storm shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Winter Storm offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Winter Storm at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Winter Storm? Wrong! If the Winter Storm is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Winter Storm then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Winter Storm? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Winter Storm and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Winter Storm wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Winter Storm then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Winter Storm site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Winter Storm, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Winter Storm, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
A
winter storm is a meteorological event in which the dominant varieties of precipitation (meteorology) are forms that only occur at cold
temperatures, such as
snow or sleet, or a rainstorm where ground temperatures are cold enough to allow ice to form (i.e. freezing rain). In temperate continental
climates, these storms are not necessarily restricted to the winter season, but may occur in the late autumn and early Spring (season) as well. Very rarely, they may form in
summer, though it would have to be an abnormally cold summer, such as the summer of
Year Without a Summer in the Northeast United States. In many locations in the
Northern Hemisphere, the most powerful winter storms usually occur in March and, in regions where temperatures are cold enough, April.
Snowstorm
Snowstorms are storms where large amounts of snow fall. Snow is less dense than liquid water, by a factor of approximately 10 at temperatures slightly below freezing, and even more at much colder temperatures. Therefore, an amount of water that would produce 2 cm (0.8 in.) of rain could produce as much as 20 cm (8 in.) of snow. Five centimeters of snow (2 in.) is enough to create serious disruptions to traffic and school transport (because of the difficulty to drive and maneuver the school buses on slick roads). This is particularly true in places where snowfall is uncommon but heavy accumulating snowfalls can happen (e.g.,
Atlanta, Georgia, Seattle, Washington, London, Canberra, Vancouver). In places where snowfall is common, such as
Buffalo, New York, Detroit,
Montreal,
Quebec City and Minneapolis, such small snowfalls are rarely disruptive, though snowfalls in excess of 15 cm (6 in.) usually are.
A massive snowstorm with strong winds and other conditions meeting certain criteria is known as a blizzard. A large number of heavy snowstorms, some of which were blizzards, occurred in the United States during the early and mid-1990s, and the 1993 North American Storm Complex was manifest as a blizzard in most of the affected area.
Large snowstorms could be quite dangerous: a 15 cm (6 in.) snowstorm will make some unplowed roads impassable, and it is possible for
automobiles to get stuck in the snow. Snowstorms exceeding 30 cm (12 in.) especially in southern or generally warm climates will cave the
roofs of some homes and cause the loss of power. Standing dead trees can also be brought down by the weight of the snow, especially if it is wet or very dense. Even a few inches of dry snow can form drifts many feet high under windy conditions.
Snowstorms are usually considered less dangerous than ice storms. However, the snow brings secondary dangers.
Mountain snowstorms can produce Cornice (climbing)s and avalanches. An additional danger, following a snowy winter, is
Spring (season) flooding if the snow melts suddenly due to a dramatic rise in air temperature. Deaths can occur from hypothermia, infections brought on by frostbite, car accidents due to slippery roads, fires or carbon monoxide poisoning due to alternative heating methods after a storm causes a
power outage, or myocardial infarctions caused by overexertion while shoveling heavy wet snow.
"Wintry mix"
Many factors influence the form precipitation (meteorology) will take, and atmospheric temperatures are influential as well as ground conditions. Sometimes, near the rain/snow interface a region of
sleet or
freezing rain will occur. It is difficult to predict what form this precipitation will take, and it may alternate between
rain and
snow. Therefore, weather forecasters just predict a "wintry mix".
usually, this type of precipitation occurs at temperatures between -2°C and 2°C (28°F–36°F).
== Freezing rain and ice storms ==s.
covered in icy glaze due to freezing rain.
Freezing rain storms are one of the most dangerous types of winter storm. They typically occur when a layer of warm air hovers over a region, but the ambient temperature is near 0°C (32°F), and the ground temperature is sub-freezing. A storm in which only roads freeze is a "freezing rain storm"; one resulting in widespread icing of plants and infrastructure is an "ice storm".
While a 10 cm (4 in.) snowstorm is somewhat manageable by the standards of the northern
United States and Canada, a comparable 1 cm (0.4 in.) ice storm will paralyze a region: driving becomes extremely hazardous, telephone and power lines are damaged, and crops may be ruined. Because they do not require extreme cold, ice storms often occur in warm temperature climates (such as the southern United States) as well as cooler ones. Ice storms in Florida will often destroy entire orange (fruit) crops.
Notable ice storms include an El Niño-related
North American ice storm of 1998 that affected much of eastern Canada, including
Montreal and
Ottawa, as well as upstate New York and part of
New England. Three million people lost power, some for as long as six weeks. One-third of the trees in Montreal's Mount Royal park were damaged, as well as a large proportion of the sugar-producing maple trees. The amount of economic damage caused by the storm has been estimated at $3 billion Canadian dollar.
The Ice Storm of December 2002 in North Carolina resulted in massive power loss throughout much of the state, and property damage due to falling trees. Except in the mountainous western part of the state, heavy snow and icy conditions are rare in North Carolina.
The
Ice Storm of December 2005 was another severe winter storm producing extensive ice damage across a large portion of the Southern United States on December 14 to 16. It led to widespread power outages and at least 7 deaths.
In January 2005
Kansas had been declared a major disaster zone by President George W. Bush after an ice storm caused nearly $39 million in damages to 32 counties. Federal funds were provided to the counties during January 4-6, 2005 to aid the recovery process.
Arctic cyclones
The largest snowstorms form around polar
pressure and are known as arctic cyclones. In other cases, similar storms can form around high-pressure systems and create anticyclonic storms.
See also
A
winter storm is a meteorological event in which the dominant varieties of precipitation (meteorology) are forms that only occur at cold
temperatures, such as snow or sleet, or a rainstorm where ground temperatures are cold enough to allow
ice to form (i.e.
freezing rain). In temperate continental climates, these storms are not necessarily restricted to the
winter season, but may occur in the late
autumn and early
Spring (season) as well. Very rarely, they may form in
summer, though it would have to be an abnormally cold summer, such as the summer of Year Without a Summer in the Northeast United States. In many locations in the Northern Hemisphere, the most powerful winter storms usually occur in March and, in regions where temperatures are cold enough, April.
Snowstorm
Snowstorms are storms where large amounts of snow fall. Snow is less dense than
liquid water, by a factor of approximately 10 at temperatures slightly below freezing, and even more at much colder temperatures. Therefore, an amount of water that would produce 2 cm (0.8 in.) of rain could produce as much as 20 cm (8 in.) of snow. Five centimeters of snow (2 in.) is enough to create serious disruptions to
traffic and school transport (because of the difficulty to drive and maneuver the school buses on slick roads). This is particularly true in places where snowfall is uncommon but heavy accumulating snowfalls can happen (e.g.,
Atlanta, Georgia, Seattle, Washington,
London,
Canberra,
Vancouver). In places where snowfall is common, such as Buffalo, New York, Detroit, Montreal, Quebec City and
Minneapolis, such small snowfalls are rarely disruptive, though snowfalls in excess of 15 cm (6 in.) usually are.
A massive snowstorm with strong winds and other conditions meeting certain criteria is known as a blizzard. A large number of heavy snowstorms, some of which were blizzards, occurred in the United States during the early and mid-1990s, and the
1993 North American Storm Complex was manifest as a blizzard in most of the affected area.
Large snowstorms could be quite dangerous: a 15 cm (6 in.) snowstorm will make some unplowed roads impassable, and it is possible for automobiles to get stuck in the snow. Snowstorms exceeding 30 cm (12 in.) especially in southern or generally warm climates will cave the
roofs of some homes and cause the loss of power. Standing dead trees can also be brought down by the weight of the snow, especially if it is wet or very dense. Even a few inches of dry snow can form drifts many feet high under windy conditions.
Snowstorms are usually considered less dangerous than ice storms. However, the snow brings secondary dangers.
Mountain snowstorms can produce Cornice (climbing)s and avalanches. An additional danger, following a snowy winter, is Spring (season) flooding if the snow melts suddenly due to a dramatic rise in air temperature. Deaths can occur from hypothermia, infections brought on by frostbite, car accidents due to slippery roads, fires or carbon monoxide poisoning due to alternative heating methods after a storm causes a power outage, or myocardial infarctions caused by overexertion while shoveling heavy wet snow.
"Wintry mix"
Many factors influence the form
precipitation (meteorology) will take, and atmospheric temperatures are influential as well as ground conditions. Sometimes, near the rain/snow interface a region of
sleet or
freezing rain will occur. It is difficult to predict what form this precipitation will take, and it may alternate between rain and snow. Therefore, weather forecasters just predict a "wintry mix".
usually, this type of precipitation occurs at temperatures between -2°C and 2°C (28°F–36°F).
== Freezing rain and ice storms ==s.
covered in icy glaze due to freezing rain.
Freezing rain storms are one of the most dangerous types of winter storm. They typically occur when a layer of warm air hovers over a region, but the ambient temperature is near 0°C (32°F), and the ground temperature is sub-freezing. A storm in which only roads freeze is a "freezing rain storm"; one resulting in widespread icing of plants and infrastructure is an "ice storm".
While a 10 cm (4 in.) snowstorm is somewhat manageable by the standards of the northern
United States and Canada, a comparable 1 cm (0.4 in.) ice storm will paralyze a region: driving becomes extremely hazardous, telephone and power lines are damaged, and crops may be ruined. Because they do not require extreme cold, ice storms often occur in warm temperature climates (such as the southern United States) as well as cooler ones. Ice storms in Florida will often destroy entire
orange (fruit) crops.
Notable ice storms include an El Niño-related North American ice storm of 1998 that affected much of eastern Canada, including
Montreal and Ottawa, as well as upstate New York and part of New England. Three million people lost power, some for as long as six weeks. One-third of the trees in Montreal's Mount Royal park were damaged, as well as a large proportion of the
sugar-producing
maple trees. The amount of economic damage caused by the storm has been estimated at $3 billion Canadian dollar.
The Ice Storm of December 2002 in
North Carolina resulted in massive power loss throughout much of the state, and property damage due to falling trees. Except in the mountainous western part of the state, heavy snow and icy conditions are rare in
North Carolina.
The
Ice Storm of December 2005 was another severe winter storm producing extensive ice damage across a large portion of the Southern United States on December 14 to 16. It led to widespread power outages and at least 7 deaths.
In January 2005
Kansas had been declared a major disaster zone by
President George W. Bush after an ice storm caused nearly $39 million in damages to 32 counties. Federal funds were provided to the counties during January 4-6, 2005 to aid the recovery process.
Arctic cyclones
The largest snowstorms form around polar
pressure and are known as
arctic cyclones. In other cases, similar storms can form around high-pressure systems and create anticyclonic storms.
See also
Midwest Highland Arts Fund - Winter Storm
News and events. The new Winter Storm 2008 CD is shipping! Click here for the playlist, free downloadable track, and ordering information! Listen to the FREE downloadable track!
Midwest Highland Arts Fund - Winter Storm
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Winter storm - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A winter storm is an event in which the dominant varieties of precipitation are forms that only occur at cold temperatures, such as snow or sleet, or a rainstorm where ground ...
Ready.gov: Winter Storms and Extreme Cold
Ready America, Educating and empowering Americans to prepare for emergencies including natural disasters like severe Winter Weather.
BBC NEWS | Americas | Winter storm batters western US
A winter storm batters the US west coast, bringing floods and snowstorms, and leaving many without power.
Winter Storms the Deceptive Killers
A guide to survival produced by the United States Department of Commerce.
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | UK winter storms 'have doubled'
Scientists tell the United Nations serious winter storms in Britain have doubled over the last 50 years
Winter Storm Resource Center
Information for coping with severe winter weather.
Picture: Winter storm, Brighton
Commended entry in our photography competition - Postcards from East Sussex. ... This is a printed version of a page from East Sussex County Council's website - eastsussex.gov.uk.
FEMA For Kids: Winter Storms
n many areas of the country, winters bring heavy snowfall and very cold temperatures. Heavy snow can block roads and cause power lines to fall down.
