Snow squalls are arguably more dangerous than blizzards. This is because of their rapid movement, often catching motorists off guard.

Visibility reduces to zero in a matter of minutes and intense snow can fall at a rate of 4-6 inches per hour, especially if thunder accompanies it.

We often find snow squalls along the leading edge of a cold front, but they can also occur with lake-effect snow.

Today, alerts for snow squalls trigger the Emergency Alert System to alert everyone, especially motorists of their imminence.

Watch the video above to see how quickly conditions can change with a snow squall.