SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — As winter approaches, we've already experienced snowstorms, showers, and those dangerous snow squalls.
Snow squalls may come and go quickly, but the dangerous conditions they bring can make driving extremely hazardous.
When you get an alert that a snow squall is approaching be prepared for whiteout conditions.
"A snow squall is kind of just like a quick burst of heavy snow, it can be accompanied with gusty winds and very little visibility, down to a quarter mile or less," said Ben Lott, meteorologist, National Weather Service.
Snow squalls also bring the possibility of flash freezing that combined with low visibility creates hazardous driving conditions
Cold weather, snow showers expected this week in NEPA
"You could be going interstate speed, whatever that may be, let's say 65 miles per hour, and then all of a sudden you hit this wall of snow, and your visibility is reduced. You have snow on the roads all of a sudden," explained Lott.
Warnings for incoming snow squalls are targeted to specific areas and can remain active for up to an hour.
"That could mean it is snowing heavily or we noticed visibilities are reduced, noticed that the roads are getting covered, it could be a combination of things. The conditions are there for a snow squall, it's happening in that location," explained Lott.
It's best to delay your travel plans when a squall is active, but if you're already driving and get caught in one, your best option is to find a safe area to pull over.
"Make sure your headlights are on, slow down, increase that gap between you and the vehicle in front of you, and if it is intense and there is an exit nearby we recommend that you actually get off of the interstate or highway. Just kind of wait it out," continued Lott.
It's also encouraged to not use cruise control during a snow squall and to have as much control over your vehicle as possible.
