Volume and weight Heavy, wet snow has a very high water content—4 or 5 inches of this kind of snow contains about 1 inch of water. Thus, an inch of very wet snow over an acre might amount to more than 5,400 gallons of water, while an inch of powdery snow might yield only about 1,300 gallons.

Light fluffy snow may only weigh about seven pounds per cubic foot. More average snow may weigh 15 pounds per cubic foot and drifted compacted snow may weigh 20 pounds or more…” Let’s figure this out… There are 7.48 gallons per cubic foot of water – that’s about 62.4 pounds.

The ‘snow to ice ratio’ or Snow Ratio expresses how much volume of snow you get for a given volume of water. Typically a ratio of 10:1 (ten to one) means that every 10 inches of snowfall equals one inch of liquid water.

But how do you know what the water content of the snow that falls at your location is? There is a general rule of thumb that says the perfectly typical snowfall will have a snow-to-liquid ratio of 10 to 1, meaning that 10 inches/cm of snow will yield one inch/cm of water.

Calculating (SWE) Take the weight of the snow and the baggie and subtract the weight of the baggie. So if the total for both was 21 grams.

Three Types of Measurements are Reported: Snowfall (newly fallen snow) is reported in INCHES and TENTHS (such as 2.4″). It is taken as soon as snow has stopped falling if possible and no more than 4 times a day. Snow Depth (total depth of snow on the ground) is reported to the nearest WHOLE INCH (such as 11″).

When surface temperatures are just above freezing, snow can melt slightly, adding more moisture and creating heavy, wet snow. When surface temperatures are below freezing, you get powder. Powdery snow contains less water, on average 5 inches of dry snow will melt to only 0.5 of an inch of water.

The stickiness of wet snow also makes it easy to form into snowballs and snowmen. Wet snow not only sticks to everything, but it is also heavier than dry snow. One inch of wet snow can contain 2 to 3 times more water than one inch of dry snow, making it that much heavier.

Wet snow is great for making snow balls and it is a sticky snow. Dry snow is powdery, easily blown around by the wind and is not sticky.

Since wet snow represents water in phases of a liquid and a solid, the temperature will quickly cool to 32 F and remain near that temperature throughout the wet snow event.

The light fluffy snow forms when all layers of the atmosphere are below freezing. because the air is cold, all the way down to the surface, snowflakes don’t melt. That allows the individual flakes to stay light and fluffy.

Graupel is sometimes mistaken for hail, but tends to have a texture that is softer and more crumbly. Graupel is sometimes also called snow pellets.

Ultimately, it is the temperature at which a crystal forms — and to a lesser extent the humidity of the air — that determines the basic shape of the ice crystal. The intricate shape of a single arm of the snowflake is determined by the atmospheric conditions experienced by entire ice crystal as it falls.

The snowflake can be a symbol of rebirth. Snow makes the earth look clean and fresh. This is why snowflakes can also be a symbol of purity. When it melts, it’s transformed into water, making it a suitable symbol for transformation and new beginnings.

What is the opposite of snowflake?