Central US

Lake-Effect Snow

• Occurs when cold air surges over relatively warm lake water
• Enhanced snow falls downwind of lakes as air picks up moisture, warmth
• Often occurs around the Great Lakes before the lakes freeze in early winter

Snow Rollers

• Rare snowballs that form when gusty winds roll snow along the ground
• Form in a similar way to how a snowman is created
• Can occur in the Plains as high winds whip across the flat terrain

Ice Jam

• A gathering of broken river ice 
• Often occurs in a narrow, shallow or winding channel
• Produces local floods during a major thaw
• Occurs frequently in the Dakotas and additional rivers in the Midwest

Onion Snow

• Refers to the last snowfall before the end of spring
• "People already planted their onions and then the snow kills them."
• -Dave Dombeck, AccuWeather.com senior meteorologist

Dixie Alley

• An area in the Deep South with frequent tornadoes
• Similar to its "Tornado Alley" counterpart 
• Severe storms are fueled by moisture from the nearby Gulf of Mexico
• Dixie Alley includes parts of Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama

Tornado Alley

• Stretches From Dallas to Des Moines, Iowa
• Area experiences a high frequency of tornadoes each year
• Dry Rockies air and moist Gulf air collide to ignite supercell storms
• Supercell storms can spawn violent tornadoes (EF-2 or higher)

Blue Norther

• A cold front that brings much cooler air
• Brings sudden weather changes to the Plains and Texas
• Wind switches from a southerly direction to a northerly direction
• Temperatures can drop drastically over a short amount of time