A snowstorm (or blizzard when severe) combines heavy snowfall with sustained winds over 50 km/h and visibility reduced below 400 m for at least 3 hours (blizzard criteria). Accumulations can exceed 30–50 cm in a few hours.
In Spain
On the Iberian Peninsula, intense snowstorms mainly affect mountain ranges (Pyrenees, Central System, Cantabrian) and occasionally the Meseta. Storm Filomena (January 2021) deposited up to 50 cm in Madrid, paralysing the city for days. Blizzards on mountain passes are a recurring hazard for winter traffic.