I have never lived in blizzard country or country that gets significant  snowfall. After reading this 8″ X 9″ book in the “This or That? Weather” series the biggest difference between a winter storm and a blizzard is whether or not there is strong wind involved.  I honestly am not sure why the publisher wanted to separate these six titles into individual books, instead of compiling them into one book on weather comparisons.

“A winter storm forms during cold weather. This usually happens in the winter. But a winter storm can also form in late fall or early spring. A blizzard is a severe winter storm. It happens in the winter. It has high winds. Blowing snow makes it hard to see.” (4-5) If there is wind greater than 35 mph, it is a blizzard.

The rest of the book is filled with photos of snow on the ground and / or blowing in the air. There is a satellite photo of the United States’ east coastline with clouds forming a blizzard. Another satellite photo over the Great Lakes region, labels the air movement of a ‘lake-effect storm’. A nor’easter is mentioned as a kind of winter storm that gets its’ name from the strong wind, but is not a blizzard. There is a quick “At a Glance” comparison page covering five elements of the two types of storms. And right before the glossary page is a craft project to make using a glass jar, glitter, water, and a small plastic animal to be swirled around creating a blizzard inside the jar.