Abstract
Blizzards and snow storms occur primarily on the cold back side of strong extratropical cyclones that form along the boundaries of air masses with contrasting temperatures. Therefore they are more intense during the cold part of the year.
Such storms are characterized by a high rate of snowfall or blowing snow and resulting low visibility. While blizzards occur most frequently, in the USA, in North and South Dakota, cases of significant snowfall are more common in mountainous areas and near the Great Lakes.
The northeast United States form an important region due to a combination of natural and socio-economic conditions (frequent strong cyclones moving along a coast that is home to an enormous concentration of people). This area was hit by blizzard in January 2016 that was remarkable for record amounts of snowfall during a 24 hour period.