whiteout
a weather condition in which visibility is extremely reduced
TRANSLATION
whiteout = starke Sichtbehinderung durch extreme Helligkeit bei Schnee und dünner Bewölkung, bei der jegliche Konturen der Landschaft verloren gehen können --- GOOGLE INDEX whiteout: approximately 200,000,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
Three hill walkers caught overnight in a WHITEOUT in the Killin area are found by search teams.
(BBC News)
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Two 17-year-olds reported lost in WHITEOUT conditions near Eagle River on Saturday were found and are OK, Anchorage Police reported this morning.
(Anchorage Daily News)
(BBC News)
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Two 17-year-olds reported lost in WHITEOUT conditions near Eagle River on Saturday were found and are OK, Anchorage Police reported this morning.
(Anchorage Daily News)
Did you
know?
whiteout
noun
- a weather condition in which snow and clouds change the way light is reflected so that only very dark objects can be seen
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press 2009)
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WORD ORIGIN
Whiteout is a weather condition in which visibility and contrast are severely reduced by snow and diffuse lighting from overcast clouds.
There are four different forms of a whiteout:
- In blizzard conditions, the windblown snow in the air may make it too difficult to see very far.
- In snowfall conditions, the volume of snow falling may obscure objects reducing visibility.
- In clear air conditions, when there is no snow falling, diffuse lighting from overcast cloud may cause all surface definition to disappear.
- Where ground-level thick fog exists in a snow covered environment, especially on open areas devoid of features.
Whiteout conditions pose threats to skiers, aviation, vehicle traffic and particularly mountain climbers. Mount Everest has been the scene of many dramas because of whiteout conditions, some of which have led to deaths on the world's highest peak. Still the occasional miracle does occur, such as in 1996 when a sudden storm trapped several groups of climbers near the peak:
Although eight people perished in the storm, Beck "Miracle Man" Weathers fought frostbite and blindness caused by the whiteout to get back to one of the camps after being presumed dead. He was then transported by helicopter back to Kathmandu for medical treatment in one of the highest altitude rescues ever.
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SMUGGLE OWAD INTO TODAY'S CONVERSATION:
"The best thing to do in a whiteout is to pull over to the side of the road and wait for visibility to improve."
noun
- a weather condition in which snow and clouds change the way light is reflected so that only very dark objects can be seen
(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press 2009)
---
WORD ORIGIN
Whiteout is a weather condition in which visibility and contrast are severely reduced by snow and diffuse lighting from overcast clouds.
There are four different forms of a whiteout:
- In blizzard conditions, the windblown snow in the air may make it too difficult to see very far.
- In snowfall conditions, the volume of snow falling may obscure objects reducing visibility.
- In clear air conditions, when there is no snow falling, diffuse lighting from overcast cloud may cause all surface definition to disappear.
- Where ground-level thick fog exists in a snow covered environment, especially on open areas devoid of features.
Whiteout conditions pose threats to skiers, aviation, vehicle traffic and particularly mountain climbers. Mount Everest has been the scene of many dramas because of whiteout conditions, some of which have led to deaths on the world's highest peak. Still the occasional miracle does occur, such as in 1996 when a sudden storm trapped several groups of climbers near the peak:
Although eight people perished in the storm, Beck "Miracle Man" Weathers fought frostbite and blindness caused by the whiteout to get back to one of the camps after being presumed dead. He was then transported by helicopter back to Kathmandu for medical treatment in one of the highest altitude rescues ever.
---
SMUGGLE OWAD INTO TODAY'S CONVERSATION:
"The best thing to do in a whiteout is to pull over to the side of the road and wait for visibility to improve."
