Why do people say...

[Kim]

Why do people say it's too cold to snow...? It's cold in Scotland and it snows there...it certainly snows in Sweden, Iceland...etc etc. Is there absolutely any basis to this statement or did some bloke just make it up one day because he was bored...? :shock:

 

[Justin Time]

it doesn't sound right does it? I guess it's because the colder the air the less moisture it can hold and therefore the less snow it can produce. Also if I can remember this correctly cold air in the UK often comes from an easterly direction, ie continental europe/russia so it won't have have spent much tiome over sea to pick up moisture. I'm now at the limit of my weather knowledge but some of our bigger snowfalls happen when cold fronts meet warmer moister air coming from the west, ie from the atlantic.

I await correction from more knowledgeable types, with pleasure

 

[tenbears10]

I have no idea where this comes from. The only thing I can think is that there is a temprature below which it physically doesn't snow by which I mean there is loads of snow on the ground but it won't fall from the sky. Now I have a sneeking suspision that it snows up north when it is very very cold so if there is such a temprature it is a long way down the scale.

So how cold has it been and you've seen it actually snowing?

 

[sandbender]

My very brainy sister tells me that there is a temperature window within which snow crystals will form, below which the water falls as hail or lumps of ice. In the Artic or elswhere where it is really cold at ground level, a higher temperature exists within the clouds because the water molecules are banging against each other and thats how snow can fall when its ridiculously cold...

Sounds good, but then she talks to cats so I'd take anything she says with a pinch of salt....

 

[jakunen]

So how cold has it been and you've seen it actually snowing?

Not me personally but -35 in Siberia (before windchill) and you couldn't see your hand infront of your face.

Personally -15 in northern Michigan having a snowball fight with family. Big soft fluffy flakes that stuck to your eyelashes making dodging snowballs aimed at your groin (little kid height) very erm, 'fun'?...

 

[arctic hobo]

It's true, I have seen it clear as can be at 40 below. You know in the winter when there are those really cold days that are clear? It's high pressure weather system, and there will be no precipitation, rain or snow. In lower pressure you'll get precipitation but it'll be warmer.

 

[R-Bowskill]

Clouds hold in the heat, so the less cloud the colder it's likely to get at night, also without clouds there's nothing for the snow to come from. When it's clear and frosty it can't snow cos there's no snowclouds not because it's too cold.

People say 'it's too cold to snow' as an observation of a non causal relationship. The same as birds migrating don't make winter or spring arrive. But have been thought to bring the chance in the weather.

 

[Andy]

Best temp for snow is a fairly low pressure between about -6 and 4

doesn't mean it can't happen at lower temps but the pressure normaly stops it

 

[Adi007]

http://www.theweatherprediction.com/habyhints/222/
http://starryskies.com/articles/2002/12/physics-snow.html
http://nsidc.org/snow/faq.html

Is it ever too cold to snow? No, it can snow even at incredibly cold temperatures as long as there is some source of moisture and some way to lift or cool the air. It is true, however, that most heavy snowfalls occur with relatively warm air temperatures near the ground - typically 15°F or warmer since air can hold more water vapor at warmer temperatures.

A better way to phrase it is "in a climate like we have in the UK lowlands, colder air doesn't encourage snowfall".

 

[Viking]

I got snow and cold (too cold sometimes)

 

[Carcajou Garou]

The artic is a desert as far as new precipitation is concerned, Andy is right the closer to 0c the better the chances for snow but it can still blizzard at
-40c mostly snow picked up from past snowfalls and new clouds blown in for good measure.
just a thought

 

[arctic hobo]

The artic is a desert as far as new precipitation is concerned, Andy is right the closer to 0c the better the chances for snow but it can still blizzard at
-40c mostly snow picked up from past snowfalls and new clouds blown in for good measure.
just a thought

... don't want to be a smartarse, but you mean the Antarctic. The arctic is basically water for half the year y'see.

 

[Carcajou Garou]

I stand corrected, "an", but the central northern polar ice cap itself is still frozen all year if I am not mistaken?, it is getting smaller though and it is receeding from the shores for a greater distance and stays "wet" for a longer period of time. Please advise :wave:
just a thought

 

[Lurch]

Just like Adi says.
We don't tend to get snow in Blighty when it's real cold, just the way our climate is - doesn't mean it won't but generally it doesn't.
Has as much scientific basis as 'red sky in the morning..' i.e. some but not absolute.

 

[arctic hobo]

I stand corrected, "an", but the central northern polar ice cap itself is still frozen all year if I am not mistaken?, it is getting smaller though and it is receeding from the shores for a greater distance and stays "wet" for a longer period of time. Please advise :wave:
just a thought

Yes, that's it. In summer though you can't be sure - certainly none of the ice you could stand on! And you may find the actual true north pole (there are about 5 or 6 :roll: ) might be water as the pack ice moves. In summer you get leads between the floes that may open in day and freeze at night. Certainly you could not attempt to trek there in summer.
The ice is certainly receding as well - have a listen to this http://www.poletrack.com/files/050221_01.mp3. And it's February!

 

[bambodoggy]

While we're on the subject of snow and daft things..... I have a question:

"How do people who drive snowploughs get to work in the morning"? :rolmao: