From the Poughkeepsie Journal:

Meteorologist Tom Wasula said the Weather Service in Albany has not been able to confirm if the storm can officially be called a “blizzard” in Dutchess County. He said the wind sensor at Dutchess County Airport broke last night in the storm.

The parameters for a blizzard include heavy or blowing snow, visibility reduced to less than a quarter-mile and wind or consistent wind gusts over 35 mph for a period of three consecutive hours, he said.

I think that if the storm breaks your wind sensor, it’s safe to call it a blizzard.  Based on what we saw at 11pm last night while shoveling, this would definitely qualify.