Blizzard watch

A blizzard watch was a bulletin issued by the National Weather Service of the United States which meant winds greater than 35 mph, mixed with falling or blowing snow, and visibilities of 1/4 mi or less is forecast for a period of 3 hours or more. A blizzard watch was issued 12 to 48 hours before an expected blizzard event. As the forecast solidifies, a blizzard watch would be either downgraded to a winter storm warning or winter weather advisory for blowing snow (depending on accumulation amounts) or upgraded to a blizzard warning.

On October 2, 2017, issuance of the blizzard watch has been discontinued. A winter storm watch is now issued in its place. Blizzard warnings continue to be issued, however.

Example of a blizzard watch
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL 1134 AM CST SUN JAN 30 2011

...MAJOR WINTER STORM TO IMPACT THE REGION TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY...

.THE FIRST PHASE OF THE UPCOMING WINTER STORM WILL BEGIN MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY MORNING FOR NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA. SNOWFALL TOTALS FROM THE FIRST PHASE APPEARS TO BE BETWEEN 2 AND 4 INCHES ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA. THE FOCUS TURNS TOWARDS THE LARGER EVENT THAT PUSHES INTO THE REGION TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND WILL PERSIST THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

A DEVELOPING AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO SLIDE EAST OF THE ROCKIES INTO EASTERN TEXAS MONDAY NIGHT AND RAPIDLY STRENGTHEN AS IT SLIDES NORTH TUESDAY. THE PRECISE TRACK OF THE LOW CONTINUES TO WOBBLE WITH EACH NEW MODEL RUN...HOWEVER RELATIVE CONSISTENCY OF A TRACK FROM CENTRAL ARKANSAS NORTH TO CENTRAL INDIANA BY WEDNESDAY MORNING LOOKS TO BE THE MOST PROBABLE TRACK. THIS WOULD PLACE THE AXIS OF THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE TRACK OF THE LOW PRESSURE...OR ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA.

AS THE LOW PRESSURE CONTINUES TO SLIDE NORTH AND STRENGTHEN...NORTHEAST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AND BRING A FLOW OF COLD AIR ACROSS LAKE MICHIGAN AIDING IN THE GENERATION OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW TUESDAY EVENING. WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO RAMP UP WITH SUSTAINED WINDS TUESDAY EVENING BETWEEN 25 AND 35 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH POSSIBLE. NORTHEAST WINDS THEN CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN TUESDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY MORNING WEDNESDAY WITH GUSTS UP TO 55 MPH POSSIBLE. THIS IN COMBINATION WITH THE FALLING SNOWFALL MAY CREATE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AND WHITE OUT CONDITIONS. AS THE LOW PRESSURE CONTINUES TO LIFT NORTH INTO CENTRAL INDIANA WEDNESDAY MORNING...WINDS WILL BEGIN TO TURN NORTHERLY AND BRING THE LAKE ENHANCED SNOWFALL TO NORTHWEST INDIANA.

BY LATER WEDNESDAY THE SNOW FROM THE DEPARTING WINTER STORM WILL BE WINDING DOWN ACROSS THE AREA BUT A BAND OF SIGNIFICANT LAKE EFFECT SNOW IS EXPECTED IN NORTHWEST INDIANA WHERE SEVERAL ADDITIONAL INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE BEFORE THE LAKE EFFECT SHIFTS FURTHER OFF TO THE EAST INTO SOUTHWESTERN LOWER MICHIGAN AND NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA.

BETWEEN THE INITIAL LIGHTER SNOW MONDAY INTO TUESDAY MORNING... THE HEAVY SNOWFALL FROM THE MAJOR WINTER STORM DURING TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING...AND THE INCREASINGLY INTENSE LAKE EFFECT SNOW DEVELOPING DURING WEDNESDAY...IN EXCESS OF A FOOT AND A HALF OR MORE OF SNOW WILL NOT BE UNCOMMON OVER MUCH OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND FAR NORTHWEST INDIANA. SNOWFALL RATES UP TO 3 INCHES PER HOUR WILL BE PROBABLE AT THE HEIGHT OF THE STORM TUESDAY NIGHT.

THE STORM SYSTEM WILL BE AFFECTING A LARGE PORTION OF THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES...MIDWEST AND OHIO VALLEY REGIONS. ANYONE WITH TRAVEL PLANS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...INCLUDING THOSE TRAVELING THROUGH CHICAGO OHARE AND MIDWAY AIRPORTS...SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR LATER FORECASTS REGARDING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS WINTER STORM..

ILZ003>006-008-010>014-019>023-032-033-039-INZ001-002-010-011-019- 310145- /O.CAN.KLOT.WS.A.0001.110201T1800Z-110203T0000Z/ /O.NEW.KLOT.BZ.A.0001.110201T1800Z-110203T0000Z/ WINNEBAGO-BOONE-MCHENRY-LAKE IL-OGLE-LEE-DE KALB-KANE-DUPAGE-COOK- LA SALLE-KENDALL-GRUNDY-WILL-KANKAKEE-LIVINGSTON-IROQUOIS-FORD- LAKE IN-PORTER-NEWTON-JASPER-BENTON- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ROCKFORD...BELVIDERE...WOODSTOCK... WAUKEGAN...OREGON...DIXON...DEKALB...AURORA...WHEATON...CHICAGO... OTTAWA...OSWEGO...MORRIS...JOLIET...KANKAKEE...PONTIAC... WATSEKA...PAXTON...GARY...VALPARAISO...MOROCCO...RENSSELAER... FOWLER 1134 AM CST SUN JAN 30 2011 /1234 PM EST SUN JAN 30 2011/

...BLIZZARD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON... ...WINTER STORM WATCH IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHICAGO HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THE WINTER STORM WATCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

AREA MIDDAY TUESDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. AS THE SNOWFALL FROM THE STORM SYSTEM STARTS TO WIND DOWN DURING WEDNESDAY MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON...LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL HAVE DEVELOPED ON THE ILLINOIS SIDE OF THE LAKE. INCREASINGLY HEAVY AND MORE CONCENTRATED LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL SHIFT INTO FAR NORTHWEST INDIANA DURING WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND PERSIST INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING BEFORE SHIFTING FURTHER OFF TO THE EAST INTO SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN AND NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA.
 * TIMING...HEAVY SNOWFALL WILL SPREAD NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE

WEDNESDAY EVENING ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN EXCESS OF 8 INCHES IN NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS...AND IN EXCESS OF 18 INCHES OVER NORTHEAST AND EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS...AS WELL AS NORTHWEST INDIANA. LOCAL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF 24 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN FAR NORTHWEST INDIANA...DEPENDING ON EXACTLY WHERE THE LAKE EFFECT SNOW BAND SETS UP AND HOW PERSISTENT IT IS OVER ANY ONE LOCATION.
 * ACCUMULATIONS...TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS FROM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH

DRIFTING SNOW AND FREQUENT WHITE OUT CONDITIONS.
 * HAZARDS...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WITH CONSIDERABLE BLOWING AND

ACCUMULATING AT A RAPID RATE DURING THE PEAK OF THE SNOW STORM TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. HEAVY LAKE EFFECT SNOW IN NORTHWEST INDIANA LATER WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY EVENING WILL CONTINUE TO SNARL TRAVEL THERE.
 * IMPACTS...NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TRAVEL CONDITIONS AS SNOW WILL BE

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FALLING AND/OR BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND EXTREMELY POOR VISIBILITIES. THIS CAN LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND MAKE TRAVEL VERY DANGEROUS.

$$ TG/KD