At 4:55 pm, cell phones across the Omaha metro and the rest of eastern NE into western IA buzzed with the following alert: "Snow Squall Warning until 6:00 pm. Slow down or delay travel! Be ready for a sudden drop to near zero visibility and icy roads in heavy snow." For many of us, this was the first time we had seen that alert or even heard the term "snow squall". So, what does this alert mean, what constitutes a "snow squall" versus a regular snowfall? How rare is it in Nebraska and Iowa? These questions are answered below!
A snow squall is a small band of moderate to heavy snow that produces gusty winds and lasts several minutes. Snow squalls differ from general snowfall because the impacts are more extreme for a short duration of time. In particular, the main hazard with snow squalls is the drastic drop in visibility to near zero or whiteout conditions. This makes driving into snow squalls particularly treacherous, hence the use of a snow squall warning.
The National Weather Service has the option to activate the "Wireless Emergency Alert" system on your phone the same way a Tornado or Severe Thunderstorm Warning alerts you. This is mainly due because those impacted are driving, and thus less attentive to their phones.
https://x.com/NEStatePatrol/status/1748147858430120334?s=20Snow squall warnings can be thought of as the "Severe Thunderstorm Warning" of winter storms, when one is issued, you should take precautions if you are traveling. The safest thing to do is to pull over and wait it out, as driving can be hazardous. If you were planning to travel, stay inside and wait it out. If you have to travel in snow squalls, take it very slow and keep as much distance between you and other cars as you can, you never know what lies ahead of you if you can't see past your windshield.
Unfortunately, this was proven yesterday across eastern Nebraska because of the snow squall. Along Nebraska Highway 21 near Lindsay in Platte County, north of Columbus and about 90 minutes west of Omaha, a 25-vehicle pile-up occurred as visibility suddenly dropped to near-zero. Although there were a few minor injuries, no one was killed in the pile-up.
So, how rare are snow squall warnings? For eastern Nebraska and western Iowa, they are quite rare. The National Weather Service began warning on snow squalls in 2018, and until yesterday there was never a snow squall warning issued for eastern NE or western IA. However, they are a bit more common in western Nebraska, where 3 dozen snow squall warnings have been issued.
The bottom line, if you are under a snow squall warning in the future, just stay inside. If you are driving, pull over and wait it out.
