For those of us who live in cold climates, the cold and snow of winter 2024 will soon be upon us. Ready or not, news about winter storms, blizzards, blizzards, bomb cyclones and lake-effect snow is just around the corner.

Do you have your shovel handy? (And what do all these terms mean?)

Long-term climate forecasts indicate snow could fly fast and Furious next winter in the Great Lakes states, northern Rockies and Pacific Northwest, although no snowstorms can be predicted more than a few days in advance.

Here’s what you need to know about winter weather vocabulary:

What is a blizzard?

Did you know that a blizzard has a specific meteorological definition, according to the National Weather Service?

This is a storm with blowing and/or snowfall with winds of at least 35 mph, reducing visibility to a quarter mile or less for at least three hours.

By this definition, heavy snowfall and intense cold are not technically required for a blizzard. (Sometimes strong winds pick up snow that has already fallen, creating what is called a ground blizzard.)

However, in common usage the term is often used to refer to any severe snowstorm accompanied by strong winds, the American Meteorological Society said.

What is a nor’easter?

Nor’Easters are large areas of intense low pressure that typically develop off the East Coast in late fall, winter, and early spring.

These storms are called “northeasters” because they typically bring strong northeasterly winds to the east as they move northward along the Atlantic coast.

Northeast winds also often bring heavy rain, heavy snow, and severe coastal flooding to the East.

Many northeast winds can produce blizzard conditions for some time, especially in New England.

What is a bomb cyclone?

A bomb cyclone, created by a process known as bombogenesisis a severe winter storm.

Essentially a “winter hurricane,” a bomb cyclone occurs when a storm rapidly intensifies and its central barometric pressure drops at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. The lower the pressure of a storm, the higher its intensity, The Weather Channel reports.

Many of the most intense winter storms to hit the nation’s coasts have been bomb cyclones.

What is lake effect snow?

When snow piles up in places like Buffalo in Western New York or Marquette in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, people start talking about the lake effect. But what exactly is lake effect snow? How is it going?

Lake-effect snow, which can last from minutes to days, develops from narrow bands of clouds that form when cold, dry arctic air passes over a large lake relatively soft.

As cold air passes over the unfrozen, “warm” waters of the Great Lakes, heat and moisture are transferred to the lowest part of the atmosphere, the National Weather Service said. The air rises and clouds form and turn into narrow bands that produce 2 to 3 inches of snow per hour or more.

These snows usually only occur in the fall or early winter, before the lakes freeze over. (But if the lakes don’t freeze, lake-effect snow can occur throughout the winter and into spring.)

What is a Winter Storm Warning and Watch?

The National Weather Service uses specific alerts to warn of approaching severe winter conditions: A winter storm watch is issued by the weather service when there is “a risk of significant and dangerous winter conditions within 48 hours.” This does not mean that significant and dangerous winter weather will occur, it just means that it is possible.

However, a winter storm warning is issued when “a significant combination of hazardous winter conditions occurs or is imminent.”

This article was originally published on USA TODAY: Winter 2024 definitions for blizzard, nor’easter and bomb cyclone