Whiteout/Origin

Whiteout is a weather condition in which visibility and contrast are severely reduced by snow or sand. The horizon disappears completely and there are no reference points at all, leaving the individual with a distorted orientation. Whiteout has been defined as: A condition of diffuse light when no shadows are cast, due to a continuous white cloud layer appearing to merge with the white snow surface. No surface irregularities of the snow are visible, but a dark object may be clearly seen. There is no visible horizon. [1] A whiteout may be due simply to extremely heavy snowfall rates as seen in lake effect conditions, or to other factors such as diffuse lighting from overcast clouds, mist or fog, or a background of snow. People can be lost in their own front yards during a true whiteout, when the door is only 10 feet (3 meters) away, and they would have to feel their way back. Motorists have to stop their cars where they are, as the road is impossible to see. Normal snowfalls and blizzards, where snow is falling at 1 or 2 inches per hour (2.5 or 5.1 cm/h), or where the relief visibility is not clear yet having a clear field of view for over 30 feet (9 meters), are often incorrectly called whiteouts.