US Trends

what are flurries in weather

Flurries in weather are very light, brief snow showers that usually don’t leave any measurable accumulation on the ground. They look like scattered snowflakes drifting or blowing around for a short time, then stopping without building up into a real snow cover.

Basic definition

  • In meteorology, snow flurries are defined as intermittent, light snow that produces little or no measurable accumulation, often just a trace.
  • Forecasts that say “chance of flurries” generally mean you might see some flakes, but you are unlikely to need a shovel afterward.

How flurries look and feel

  • Flurries often come in brief bursts: it may snow lightly for a few minutes, stop, then start again, sometimes with breaks of clear sky in between.
  • They may slightly reduce visibility while they’re happening, especially if there is wind blowing the small flakes around.

Flurries vs regular snow or snow showers

  • Regular “snow” or “snow showers” in a forecast usually implies enough intensity and duration that measurable snow can accumulate on the ground.
  • Flurries are the lighter cousin: same frozen flakes, but too light and short-lived to pile up, often melting or just dusting surfaces at most.

Regional differences in the term

  • In the United States, the National Weather Service uses “flurries” specifically for intermittent, light snow with no measurable accumulation, while “snow showers” are for bursts that do accumulate.
  • In Canada, some agencies and forecasters use “flurries” closer to what others would call “snow showers,” so in practice the word can feel a bit looser and more colloquial there.

Quick TL;DR

  • What are flurries in weather?
    Light, on‑and‑off snow that is brief and usually does not stick or accumulate on the ground.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.