Do you wanna build a snowman?

It started snowing a little earlier than usual this winter. I've been watching the snowfall from inside and dreaming of building a snowman. I never got the chance since it was also final exam season. However, there was a lot of snowfall as soon as my winter break started. So, I put on my warmest pyjamas and socks, my scarf, jacket, mittens, and my boots as I headed outside to make a snowman! But, to my minor disappointment, it was not packing snow that piled up everywhere. This made the whole process very difficult. I decided to add water to my snowball as I rolled it in hopes that it would make the snow stick better. It was a very lengthy and tiring process.

This got me thinking about what differentiates between good and bad snowman-building snow. Here's what I found!

The Different Types of Snow

One of the first things that came up when I researched this was the difference between wet and dry snow. Wet snow is what is referred to as "packing" snow. It is sticky and good for snow architecture. On the other hand, dry snow is light and fluffy. This is the snow that puts up less of a fight when you are trying to shovel.

What determines whether snow is wet or dry is its liquid content, as you may have guessed from the words "wet" and "dry". The snow depth to liquid depth ratio for wet snow is less than 10 while it is greater than 20 for dry snow. In simple terms, this means that wet snow has a large liquid content, which explains why I was able to roll my snowball and actually add to its diameter when I poured water on it.

Factors Influencing the Liquid Content of Snow

One reason wet snow is better for building snowmen is the temperature during the snowfall. As you know, water has a freezing temperature of 0°C. This means that at temperatures below this, it will freeze, while at temperatures above this, it will melt. When we have snowfall during temperatures above the freezing point, it causes the snow to partially melt as it falls, increasing its melting liquid depth. This will result in wet snow. On the other hand, the snow that falls at temperatures below the freezing point, will have a lower melting liquid depth and thus be drier.

Another contributing factor is the time of day the snowfall takes place. When the sun is out, its light energy is likely to be absorbed by the snow as it is falling, causing it to gain an increased melting liquid depth. The same is true if the sun is shining strongly toward the ground. In this case, the snow will start to partially melt on the ground. These phenomena are possible even if the outside temperature is well into the negatives.

Snowman Making Tips

Although the weather temperature is only one of the factors affecting the stickiness of snow, it is safe it says that you should not go outside to build snowmen if it's really really cold!

However, if your rebellious heart really desires, bring some water with you and make sure you're building during the daytime to optimize the amount of sunshine the snow on the ground receives.

Happy building!

Citations

• Haby, J. (n.d.). Wet vs. Dry Snow. Retrieved January 07, 2021, from https://www.theweatherprediction.com/habyhints2/650/

• Samantha-Rae Tuthill, A. (2020, November 11). The Difference Between Wet and Powdery Snow. Retrieved January 07, 2021, from https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/the-difference-between-wet-and-powdery-snow/171812