By Anna SkinnerSenior ReporterShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberMore than 160,000 people were given only minutes to act on Wednesday morning after National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologists issued a "life-threatening" snow squall warning in southwestern Utah. The snow squall warning alerted people to heavy snow and strong winds that could cause visibility to plummet rapidly. Snow squalls can cause deadly traffic accidents for these reasons. The warning comes as the western U.S. is walloped by a series of back-to-back winter storms set to dump as much as 8 feet on the highest elevations this week.Shortly after 9:40 a.m. local time on Wednesday, meteorologists at the NWS Salt Lake City office issued the snow squall warnings. Follow-up warnings were issued further east at around 10 a.m. local time. "We currently have a cold front coming through the area that's pretty strong," NWS meteorologist Brittany Whitlam told Newsweek, adding that a wind gust of 75 mph associated with the snow squall was recorded in Cedar City. "As the front continues to move eastward, it will stay together, so we may see more [snow squall] conditions." ...What Is a Snow Squall?The NWS defines snow squalls as a wintertime weather hazard that can strike suddenly and last less than an hour."The sudden white-out conditions combined with falling temperatures produce icy roads in just a few minutes," an NWS webpage about snow squalls said. "Squalls can occur where there is no large-scale winter storm in progress and might only produce minor accumulations. Snow squalls can cause localized extreme impacts to the traveling public and to commerce for brief periods of time. Unfortunately, there is a long history of deadly traffic accidents associated with snow squalls. Although snow accumulations are typically an inch or less, the added combination of gusty winds, falling temperatures and quick reductions in visibility can cause extremely dangerous conditions for motorists."Whitlam said the snow squalls will likely move out of the Salt Lake City forecast area by mid-afternoon. What Is the Difference Between a Snow Squall and a Blizzard? Both snow squalls and blizzards are known for causing whiteout conditions amid intense, heavy snow and strong winds. However, the key difference between the two events is their duration. Snow squalls are typically less than an hour, whereas blizzards are classified as a storm that has sustained wind gusts of at least 35 mph and visibility less than a quarter-mile for at least three hours.On Wednesday, blizzard warnings were in place for parts of Montana, South Dakota, and Minnesota. Utah Snow Squall Warnings In Utah, the warnings were issued for the following locations: Cedar City, Enoch, Parowan, Paragonah, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Summit, Brian Head, Beaver, Minersville, Kanarraville, Hamilton Fort, and Adamsville. Affected roadways include Interstate 15 between mile markers 46 and 110, Utah Route 21 between mile markers 88 and 107, Utah Route 56 between mile markers 36 and 61, Interstate 15 between mile markers 55 and 99, and Utah Route 56 near mile marker 61.People were told to delay travel until the snow squall had passed, as "dangerous" and "life-threatening" conditions were expected to unfold. "If you must travel, use extra caution and allow extra time. Rapid changes in visibility and slick road conditions may lead to accidents," the warning said. In addition to dangerous travel conditions, the NWS Salt Lake City office warned of possible power outages as well. "Whiteout conditions with near zero visibility associated with intense bursts of heavy snow and gusty winds leading to blowing snow," the warning said. "Wind gusts greater than 50 mph could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects."Heavy Snow Forecast The alerts warned of "intense bursts of heavy snow" that, when accompanied by strong winds, would quickly create conditions that could overwhelm motorists. Both alerts were set to remain in place for around 15 or 20 minutes, although similar warnings could be issued in surrounding areas as the storm continues to progress. In addition to the snow squall warning, Utah also had various winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories in place on Wednesday.People living in the impacted areas are urged to monitor local weather forecasts as conditions can change rapidly, especially when it comes to snow squalls.