Learn the most comprehensive guide to snow disaster prevention in one article to save yourself at critical moments

Snow is generally romantic and harmless, but it can also cause disasters under certain conditions. When large-scale snowfall causes snow accumulation, resulting in house collapse, road obstruction, livestock death and other impacts, a snow disaster will occur. Which places in my country are most likely to experience snow disasters? What are the types and hazards of snow disasters? How to prevent them? Please keep this snow disaster encyclopedia.

These three areas are most prone to snow disasters, and local snow accumulation can be seen for the entire month

In my country, snow disasters have a wide impact range, and snow disasters have occurred in both the north and the south. From a regional perspective, areas prone to snow disasters are mainly concentrated in three major snow accumulation areas, namely the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, northern Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and the Northeast.

Statistics on the average number of days with snow in the past 30 years show that the eastern part of Inner Mongolia, most of Heilongjiang and Jilin, and northern Xinjiang are the places with the longest average annual snow cover in my country, with more than 50 days of snow in some places. In general, November to March of the following year is the period with the most days with snow in various parts of my country. In December, except for South China, two-thirds of my country's territory will have snow. The number of days with snow in eastern Inner Mongolia, most of Heilongjiang and Jilin, and northern Xinjiang can reach more than 25 days, and local snow can even be seen for the whole month.

There are four types of snow disasters in my country, the most common

In our country, the main types of snow disasters are snow accumulation, blizzards, wind-blown snow and avalanches. Among them, the first three have a greater impact on people's daily lives.

Snow accumulation is a common snow disaster, which usually causes the collapse of vegetable greenhouses and damage to crops; trees and communication and power transmission lines are broken; roads are buried by snow, and highway, rail transportation, aviation and people's travel are greatly affected.

In 2008, a rare large-scale rain, snow and freezing disaster occurred in my country. Its impact was huge and lasted for a long time. The snow disaster was mainly caused by accumulated snow, which lasted for a long time and affected a wide range of areas. More than 20 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities from Xinjiang in the north to Yunnan in the south were affected. The accumulated snow damaged crops and collapsed houses. The snow on the roads seriously affected transportation, and the number of people affected exceeded 100 million.

Snow disaster has a special name in pastoral areas - white disaster, which refers to the phenomenon that the snow is too thick and lasts for a long time, burying the pasture and making it impossible for livestock to feed normally. White disaster usually occurs from October to May of the following year, with the most in November, March and April. It usually causes a large number of livestock to die of starvation and freezing, and the collapse of sheds.

Snowstorms are usually caused by the combined influence of strong cold waves and southwesterly air currents. When the snowfall in a place exceeds 10 mm in 24 hours, the wind speed reaches 18 m/s or more, and the temperature drops below -5°C, a snowstorm will form. The low visibility caused by the snowstorm may cause airport flight delays and highway closures. Strong winds may also break trees and damage houses.

A snowstorm that is easily confused with a blizzard is a blizzard, which mainly occurs in northern my country, including Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and Northeast China. Both blizzards and blizzards are accompanied by strong winds, but the difference is that blizzards do not necessarily require snowfall, and blizzards can also form when snow on the ground is blown up by strong winds. When such disasters occur, visibility is usually low, resulting in traffic interruptions, pedestrians losing their way, and pastures in pastures being flooded.

Avalanche refers to the phenomenon that a large amount of snow collapses due to the imbalance of snow gravity. Avalanches can destroy large areas of forests, bury houses, transportation routes, communication facilities and vehicles, and even block rivers, causing temporary flooding. At the same time, it can also cause terrible disasters such as landslides, landslides and mud-rock flows. Therefore, avalanches are listed as a serious natural disaster in snowy mountainous areas.

Prevent snow disasters: Understand blizzard warning signals in one picture

Timely release of blizzard warnings is an important means for meteorological departments to prevent snow disasters. Blizzard warnings are divided into four levels from low to high: blue, yellow, orange, and red. The standard for the Central Meteorological Observatory to issue the lowest level of blizzard blue warning is that in the next 24 hours, parts of 2 or more provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) will experience more than 5 mm of snowfall, and there will be a large area (5 stations or more) of more than 10 mm of snowfall. If there is 30 mm of snowfall in the above range in the next 24 hours, or the snowfall in the past 24 hours exceeds 20 mm, and there will still be 10 mm of snowfall in the future, the highest level of blizzard red warning will be sounded.

How to deal with snowstorms? Please check this defense and self-help guide

Snowstorms have a huge impact on people's lives and agriculture and animal husbandry. China Weather Network has specially summarized a defense and self-rescue guide before, during and after the snowstorm to help you spend the winter safely.

Before a blizzard arrives, you need to pay attention to weather warnings and forecasts, as well as traffic information such as highway closures and airport delays, and adjust your travel plans in a timely manner; you also need to prepare sufficient food and water, and take measures to keep warm; to prevent the roof from collapsing due to accumulated snow, you need to make sure you stay in a sturdy house; if you are in a pastoral area, you need to try to ensure that there is enough feed.

When a blizzard comes, do not rush out to clear the snow. Try to stay indoors to keep warm. Pay attention to the correct use of heating equipment. If you use coal, be careful of carbon monoxide poisoning. If you must go out, you need to be fully armed from head to toe, and pay attention to keeping your head and feet warm. When driving in snowy weather, pay attention to keeping a large distance between vehicles and leave enough braking distance to prevent the vehicle from skidding. If the wind and snow are too strong and the vehicle is trapped, you should also call for help in time in the car to avoid staying outside the car for too long and getting cold.

After the blizzard ends, the temperature is often still low, the snow has not completely melted, and the roads may still be icy. Be careful of slippery roads when going out. If you fall, try to use your hands or elbows to support yourself to avoid breaking your head or other important parts. In pastoral areas, herders need to repair or rebuild sheds in a timely manner, and pay attention to feed supply to prevent livestock from losing weight.

Have you got the above tips on snow disasters and blizzard defense? China Weather Network reminds you to raise your awareness of disaster prevention, master disaster prevention knowledge, and be able to save yourself at critical moments.