Professional Pilot, February 2019
T he heavy snow was driving hard and it was difficult to see too far ahead Fortunately the wind was also blowing the snow clear of the taxiway and runway Taxiing onto Runway 36 the pilots called out their intentions on the CTAF Even though they couldnt see the sky above the runway approach end they were confident that no one was going to shoot the approach on a day like this Met with radio silence they powered up and released their brakes The jet liked the subfreezing air and quickly accelerated Just a few seconds into the takeoff roll both pilots lost sight of the runway and any marker lights But at nearly 110 kts they were fast approaching V1 In their estimation aborting would pose the same risks as continuing the takeoff so they decided to go on Unfortunately for them the 35 kt wind was 20 degrees off centerline and gusting to 45 kts In the split second required for their 58 PROFESSIONAL PILOT February 2019 decision the same wind gust that dropped visibility to zero also began to push the aircraft off the runway With no visual reference the pilots didnt realize what had happened until they felt the impact of their mains running over the edge lighting of the narrow strip Within seconds the gear sank into the verge that was still a boggy morass from the rain the day before For many pilots especially those based at mid continental airports in the higher latitudes blizzards are a frequent winter weather hazard But as these pilots know proper planning can tame many of these atmospheric monsters What are blizzards The term blizzard is widely used and often associated with any winter weather event containing wind and snow but it does have a fairly specific definition The US National Weather Services definition is heavy falling or blowing snow winds over 35 mph sustained or gusts visibility of less than mile and those conditions lasting for 3 hours or more Winter storms that have snowy and windy conditions of lesser severity are simply termed winter storms though these should not be accorded any less respect than a proper blizzard The term blizzard has been in use since at least the early 1800s but not as a meteorological term Initially blizzard meant something along the lines of to blast as in shoot with firearms and gradually came to mean an overwhelming assault of some sort a blizzard of shot a blizzard of words or a blizzard of punches The meteorological association occurred in the 1870s when it was used in an Iowa newspaper article to describe a severe winter storm a blizzard of snow By the 1880s the term had been adopted worldwide WEATHER BRIEF Natures winter fury produces many challenges for aviation Aircraft on the ramp at ACH St Gallen Altenrhein Switzerland during a winter storm Blizzards are a special case of winter storm with high winds and blowing snow that last for over 3 hours Blizzards By Karsten Shein Comm Inst Climate Scientist
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