暴風雪(ぼうふうせつ)

暴風雪(ぼうふうせつ) combines 暴風(ぼうふう) (violent wind, gale) and 雪(ゆき) (snow). It is the standard meteorological/news term for a blizzard — heavy snow accompanied by strong winds severe enough to cause poor visibility and travel hazards.

Common collocations

• 暴風雪(ぼうふうせつ)警報(けいほう): blizzard warning (high-level alert)
• 暴風雪(ぼうふうせつ)注意(ちゅうい)報(ほう): blizzard advisory (lower-level alert)
• 暴風雪(ぼうふうせつ)に見舞(みま)われる: to be hit by a blizzard
• 暴風雪(ぼうふうせつ)のため: due to the blizzard
• 猛烈(もうれつ)な暴風雪(ぼうふうせつ): a fierce blizzard

Register

• Formal / news / official weather forecast
• In casual conversation, the more general 吹雪(ふぶき) is far more common

Similar words

• 吹雪(ふぶき): blizzard, snowstorm — everyday term used in conversation, song lyrics, and literature
• 大雪(おおゆき): heavy snowfall (heavy snow but not necessarily with strong winds)
• 地吹雪(じふぶき): blowing snow (existing snow being blown across the ground by wind)
• 暴風(ぼうふう): gale, violent wind (without snow)
• 暴風雨(ぼうふうう): rainstorm (analogous formation with rain instead of snow)

Domain: Used in weather forecasts, public-safety announcements, and news reports — most relevant to northern Japan, especially Hokkaido and the Sea of Japan coastal regions.