DENVER — Windy snow that blew through the Denver metro area Tuesday morning was courtesy of a snow squall.
In minutes – if not seconds – the metro area went from a cloudy, windy morning to what looked like a full-fledged blizzard.
A National Weather Service warning -- the first-ever snow squall warning for Denver -- may have had some people question, "What exactly is a snow squall?"
A snow squall is like a mini blizzard, and it makes travel very difficult. It often means there is a quarter mile or less visibility with heavy snow, but it lasts less than an hour. Think of it as a snow thunderstorm.
The snow squall warning issued by the weather service was the first one ever issued for Denver. NWS Boulder only started issuing snow squall warnings five years ago.
A fast-moving snow squall dumped up to two inches of snow in the city in less than an hour Tuesday. Near-whiteout conditions are a hallmark of a snow squall, and that's exactly what many people in Denver saw Tuesday morning – right during the heart of the morning rush.
And it wasn't just the snow that whipped through town. The wind played its part, delivering gusts up to 58 mph just after 7 a.m. at Denver International Airport, creating massive headaches at the airport all morning. According to FlightAware, more than 700 flights were delayed at the airport on Tuesday.
The Federal Aviation Administration said a ground stop due to snow and ice was lifted about 11 a.m., but delays persisted throughout the day.
There were a total of 24 snow squall warnings in Colorado Tuesday -- the most since NWS Boulder started issuing them five years ago. One of those squalls rolled down Interstate 70 near Georgetown, leading to crashes in the eastbound lanes. No injuries were reported from those crashes.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Severe Weather