snowstorm
UK[ˈsnəʊstɔːm]US[ˈsnoʊstɔːrm]
n
a heavy fall of snow, especially with a strong wind.
Morpheme Breakdown
snow
storm
snow
storm
Etymology
the word is a transparent compound formed from two old english nouns. 'snow' derives from proto-germanic snaiwaz, which has cognates across germanic languages and traces back to the proto-indo-european root sniegʷʰ-, meaning "to snow." 'storm' comes from proto-germanic sturmaz, meaning "tumult, storm," likely from the pie root (s)twer-, "to whirl, swirl." the compound 'snowstorm' logically combines these elements to denote a specific meteorological event characterized by heavy snowfall and high winds, a concept directly built from the literal meanings of its components.
Analysis
Structure: snow + storm
snow (old english snāw, meaning frozen precipitation); storm (old english storm, meaning a violent disturbance of the atmosphere).
Examples
the snowstorm forced the closure of schools and major highways.
we stocked up on supplies before the predicted snowstorm hit.
driving conditions became treacherous during the blinding snowstorm.