Wind can also create life-threatening conditions. White-out conditions occur most often with major storms that produce a drier, more powdery snow. If you encounter white-out conditions, you should reduce your speed considerably until conditions improve or find a safe place to pull off of the road and remain there until the storm ends. A safe place is one that does not obstruct traffic, like a parking lot of a filling station. Wind driven snow can also result in drifting snow.
Snow drifts can close roads when large enough, but there are other hidden dangers in snow drifts.
While driving at normal speeds in a vehicle and suddenly plowing through snowdrift, you may lose control of your vehicle. To avoid this, always reduce your speed enough that you can make it through the snow while not losing control. This is not an easy task to master, even for experienced drivers. This condition we call wind chill which is an attempt to estimate the effects of wind and cold temperatures on the human body. The heat loss that occurs is more pronounced when the wind is faster or the temperature is lower.