The National Weather Service has issued a Snow Squall Warning until 5:45 Saturday evening, and advises drivers to slow down or delay travel entirely until the squall has passed.

What is a squall exactly? According to the NWS, snow squalls are intense periods of moderate to heavy snowfall accompanied by surface winds which create whiteout conditions.

Similar to a dust storm, snow squalls are usually short in duration and can be tracked by radar across a region or area.

Snow squalls can create extremely hazardous driving conditions due to their strong winds and drops in visibility that can occur suddenly.

For more information on Snow Squalls, please click here.

Kelsey is a fourth-generation Nevadan, investigative journalist and college professor working in the Sierras. She is an advocate of high desert agriculture, rescue dogs, and analog education.