9781422269527

Various regions of Canada experience blizzards, like this area in Vancouver, British Columbia.

three days; 16.9 inches of that snow fell in 24 hours. That 24 hour record was later beat by a 2012 storm in eastern Quebec when the region received 31.5 inches of snow in less than 24 hours. The storm in Quebec also killed 17 residents and left many others injured. Snowstorms can even occur on the highest peaks of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa in Hawaii (“mauna” means “mount”). With elevations above 13,000 feet, snowstorms can occur at the top of these mountains when the winds shift from the northeast to the southwest and gather moisture from the tropical Pacific Ocean. Due to the presence of the mountains, the moisture is forced to go up, creating heavy rain and snow. The winter of 2004–2005 brought 35 to 55 inches (89 to 140 cm) of snow, and the winter of 2005–2006 brought 40 to 75 inches (101.6 to 190.5 cm) of snow. Even though nobody lives on the top of Mauna Kea or Mauna Loa, once the snow melts, it brings heavy flooding to the residents who live at the bases of the mountains.

12

Facing the Weather: Blizzards

Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online