If you love a good old-fashioned blizzard, there's a part of the country that experiences more of them each season than anywhere else. 

We've all heard of and are likely familiar with Tornado Alley, but did you know there is also a Blizzard Alley?

The term refers to a region of the country that experiences more blizzards annually than anywhere else. 

Before we dive into the details, it's important to understand what a blizzard is. According to the National Weather Service, a storm must meet certain conditions in order to classify it as a blizzard. Sustained winds of 35 mph and considerable blowing or falling snow that reduces visibility to less than a quarter mile for at least three hours makes a storm a blizzard. 

A study done in 2002 by Dr. Thomas Schmidlin and Dr. Robert Schwartz found an area from the Front Range of Colorado and southeastern Wyoming extending into the Dakotas, Minnesota and Iowa where blizzards were most common. 

The data for this study came from monthly climate archives from October 1959 through May 2000, looking for reports of a blizzard or blizzard conditions. They found that the highest concentration of blizzards occurred in a region that was later designated Blizzard Alley. 

So why does this area of the U.S. experience blizzard conditions more frequently than other areas?

One reason is that the terrain is generally flat with a lack of trees. This combination allows strong, cold winds to blow southward from Canada across the northern Plains.

Also, strong low pressure systems that intensify to the east of the Rocky Mountains frequently visit this area, tapping into cold, arctic air behind them.

As a result, strong winds often accompany significant snow events in this region, sometimes exceeding blizzard criteria.