New To Montana? Here Are Some Helpful Winter Terms You Need To Know

As we are aware there are a lot of out of staters moving to the area. The reality is a lot of them have never driven on snow or ice before and this could be a real nuisance when it comes to the ones who have driven in these conditions. So here is a list of terms you newbies should know.

Black Ice: Ice on the road that you can not see, catches you by surprise and if you are not familiar with winter driving, this can really catch you off guard.

White Out: Basically this is when it makes it almost impossible to see in front of you.

Watch Vs. Warning: A watch is usually given 24 hours in advance when a storm could be arriving.  A Warning is when we are expected to get at least 6 inches of snow in 12 hours or at least 8 inches within 48 hours.

Sleet: This is when the rain will freeze before it actually hits the ground. It's definitely not pleasant as it pelts you in the face.

Blizzard: A severe snow storm that is expected to last a few hours that has winds that are at least 35 mph.

weather.gov/winter

Wind Chill: This is when the actual temp and wind speed come together causing the difference in temperature, making it colder than the actual temp.

Blinker: This is a device in your vehicle that signals to the other drivers on the road that you intend to be turning.

Hopefully, some of these terms will help you through this up-and-coming Montana Winter. Slow down, bundle up, and be safe!