At 11:28 a.m. on Thursday, the National Weather Service released a snow squall warning in effect until noon for Broome, Chenango, Cortland and Tioga counties.
“At 11:28 a.m., a dangerous snow squall was located along a line extending from near Otselic to Cincinnatus to near Marathon to Danby, moving east at 40 mph,” according to the weather service. “Travel will become difficult and potentially dangerous within minutes.”
Locations impacted by the warning include Norwich, Maine, Guilford, Plymouth, North Norwich, Nanticoke, Coventry, Greene, Oxford and Berkshire.
The weather service adds, “Reduce speed and turn on headlights! During snow squalls, the visibility may suddenly drop to near zero in whiteout conditions.”
Hazards include intense bursts of heavy snow. Gusty winds leading to blowing snow and rapidly falling visibility. Wind gusts greater than 35 mph.

The snow squall guide: Preparation and caution on winter roads
What are snow squalls?
Snow squalls are intense winter weather events often associated with strong cold fronts. They can quickly blanket roads with snow and ice, even without a major winter storm in the forecast. Typically lasting less than an hour and resulting in minor snow accumulation, these squalls can still be dangerous due to reduced visibility, gusty winds, and rapidly dropping temperatures. Unfortunately, these conditions have historically contributed to serious and sometimes fatal traffic accidents.
Understanding snow squalls vs. snowstorms
The difference between a snow squall and a snowstorm is the duration of the event. Snow squalls are usually very short-lived (on the order of 30-60 minutes) and extremely intense. A snowstorm could last for several hours or even days.
Snow squall warnings
Snow squall warnings are short-fused and focused on distinct areas (like tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings). These warnings provide critical, highly localized life-saving information. If a snow squall warning is issued for your area, avoid or delay motor travel until the squall…
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