Snow is a wonder of the world that has been marveled at and adored by so many people. How exactly is snow formed? Snow is made up of dust and smoke particles in clouds when the temperature is at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Then ice crystals will form together on the dust and smoke particles from the clouds. When the ice drops have combined together they will create a snowflake. When snow becomes heavy enough, it will fall to the ground.
The temperature must be in the ideal condition in order for snowflakes to form and then fall to the ground and create a beautiful blanket of snow. If the temperature of the surface where the snow would land is not cold enough, the snow will simply melt when it reaches the ground and therefore not stick.
Lakes are also responsible for bringing about snowfall. This is known as the lake effect: when cold, dry air passes over a warm body of water, it will cool the air that is on the surface of the water. Once the moisture is picked up from the surface of the lake it will form a cloud. The clouds will then continue to get larger and continue to move over the land which will then produce snow. This snow will then blanket the area surrounding it.
Snow is not always naturally occurring. Ski resorts often use machines to make snow. These machines will shoot drops of water into the air and then the drops of water will freeze quickly and fall as snow. In order for this to be a smooth operation, the weather conditions have to be ideal. For the machines to be able to produce snow at a rapid rate the weather conditions require temperatures to be cold and humidity levels to be at a low percentage. Some layers of snow may be weaker than others and if there is a shift in temperatures or any additional load on a weak layer-- for example a skier or fresh snowfall-- can make it collapse and trigger an avalanche.
Snow itself has many natural variations. It is able to sit on the ground for an extended period of time if temperatures continue to be cool enough. Sometimes temperatures will increase which would melt away the layers of snow but other times the snow may become ice when temperatures drop even lower. When snow falls it falls in layers.
The snow reflects about 80 to 90 percent of sunlight which cools the Earth and regulates temperatures. The exchange of heat between the surface of the Earth and the atmosphere is an extremely important balance that must be maintained since it serves as a protective layer for the land and the organisms below it. Snow can serve as an insulator which can protect the organisms against the harsh weather conditions and also lock in moisture.
Climate change has been melting away these protections. As a result of climate change, the amount of snow, and the surface area that snow used to cover is no longer the same. Earth warming has caused many ice caps and natural resources to unfortunately deplete and this lack of snow has a dramatic effect on water supply as well.
In order to combat these issues, everyone must work together to combat climate change. By taking steps towards sustainability and bringing down the temperature of the Earth, snow can be admired and serve its purpose for humans and all the other inhabitants of Earth.
Purnima Chopra
References:
Howie, M., & Jancarik, L. (n.d.). The Science of Snow. Retrieved January 05, 2021, from https://www.fishersci.com/us/en/education-products/publications/headline-discoveries/2016/issue-4/the-science-snow.html
Penner, J. (2017, November 28). Do you know how snow forms? Retrieved January 05, 2021, from https://www.kshb.com/weather/winter/the-science-behind-snow-an-educational-lesson-teaching-kids-how-snow-forms
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