The Nice People Thread, No.16: A Universe of Niceness.

Pyxis

LydiaJ wrote: »

I had snow inside my porch too!

Actually I don't think that a lot of the white stuff that fell here was actually snow. The way the wind was blowing it about without it sticking to itself or anything else was one thing, but also I could hear it on the conservatory roof, whereas snow is usually silent, and DD commented that it stung when it hit her face, as if it was fine sand. I suspect it was very very fine hail, although I've never known hail be that tiny or go on falling for that long.

It was frozen snow, I believe. Very fine, as you say, but very frozen. There's a technical explanation somewhere. I can't remember it.

It's to do with the very, very low temperatures we've had, plus the degree of dryness........ actually, I think the dryness had a lot to do with it.

Sorry to be so vague!





Edit.... I found this, which explains it a bit......

"According to meteorologist Dan Holley, the UK is usually used to a wet snow.

However, the Beast from the East has been blown over from Serbia, where the snow is much more dry.

As a result, and combined with the strong winds, the snow is blowing about very easily causing snowdrifts and poor driving conditions.

Mr Holley said 'the water content is a lot lower than wet snow which is the type of snow we more typically get in the UK. Dry snow blows about very easily, hence why we have seen a lot of issues with drifting today, whereas wet snow tends to be very sticky and turns to ice much more easily.'

Some news channels have referred to it as 'champagne snow'which is something that is commonly used on skiing tracks.

People will certainly have trouble building their snowmen though, as the snow doesn'tt compact easily."

ukmaggie45

Pastures, you might have a laugh at this post - be careful in the bath!

chris_m

Pyxis wrote: »

However, the Beast from the East has been blown over from Serbia, where the snow is much more dry.

I thought it had come from Russia - i.e., Siberia.
Autocorrect playing silly B's perchance?

esuhl

Pyxis wrote: »

...I think the dryness had a lot to do with it.
...

"According to meteorologist Dan Holley, the UK is usually used to a wet snow.

However, the Beast from the East has been blown over from Serbia, where the snow is much more dry.

As a result, and combined with the strong winds, the snow is blowing about very easily causing snowdrifts and poor driving conditions.

Mr Holley said 'the water content is a lot lower than wet snow which is the type of snow we more typically get in the UK. Dry snow blows about very easily, hence why we have seen a lot of issues with drifting today, whereas wet snow tends to be very sticky and turns to ice much more easily.'

Huh? I thought snow was frozen water. How can you get dry water...?

Do you get wet rain and dry rain too...?

I'm baffled!

Pyxis

esuhl wrote: »

Huh? I thought snow was frozen water. How can you get dry water...?

Do you get wet rain and dry rain too...?

I'm baffled!

It's not dry water, it's dry snow. Something to do with its low temperature.

But don't ask me, I'm no meteorologist/physicist! Just repeating what I read/heard!

(Pieces of eight, pieces of eight!)

chris_m

Pyxis wrote: »

It's not dry water, it's dry snow. Something to do with its low temperature.

Yes, dry snow is when all layers of the atmosphere through which the snow crystals fall and the ground upon which they land are below the freezing point.

If any point during the descent from formation to landing is above freezing the crystals can melt slightly and absorb moisture from the air, creating wet snow.

chris_m

With regards to types of snow, from Douglas Adams' So Long And Thanks For All The Fish;

Eskimos had over two hundred different words for snow, without which their conversation would probably have got very monotonous. So they would distinguish between thin snow and thick snow, light snow and heavy snow, sludgy snow, brittle snow, snow that came in flurries, snow that came in drifts, snow that came in on the bottom of your neighbor!!!8217;s boots all over your nice clean igloo floor, the snows of winter, the snows of spring, the snows you remember from your childhood that were so much better than any of your modern snow, fine snow, feathery snow, hill snow, valley snow, snow that falls in the morning, snow that falls at night, snow that falls all of a sudden just when you were going out fishing, and snow that despite all your efforts to train them, the huskies have pi**ed on.

Watch out where the huskies go,
And don't you eat that yellow snow...

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

esuhl

chris_m wrote: »

Yes, dry snow is when all layers of the atmosphere through which the snow crystals fall and the ground upon which they land are below the freezing point.

If any point during the descent from formation to landing is above freezing the crystals can melt slightly and absorb moisture from the air, creating wet snow.

Quite a philosophical question: Is ice is wet...?

I asked Google and it looks like a surprisingly contentious topic! This is interesting:

https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Researchers-Discover-Why-Ice-Is-Slippery-Frozen-2956473.php

chris_m

esuhl wrote: »

Quite a philosophical question: Is ice is wet...?

Of course ice is wet - it's surrounded by gin and tonic :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Pyxis

ukmaggie45 wrote: »

Pastures, you might have a laugh at this post - be careful in the bath!

Ouch!

chris_m wrote: »

With regards to types of snow, from Douglas Adams' So Long And Thanks For All The Fish;
Eskimos had over two hundred different words for snow, without which their conversation would probably have got very monotonous. So they would distinguish between thin snow and thick snow, light snow and heavy snow, sludgy snow, brittle snow, snow that came in flurries, snow that came in drifts, snow that came in on the bottom of your neighbor!!!8217;s boots all over your nice clean igloo floor, the snows of winter, the snows of spring, the snows you remember from your childhood that were so much better than any of your modern snow, fine snow, feathery snow, hill snow, valley snow, snow that falls in the morning, snow that falls at night, snow that falls all of a sudden just when you were going out fishing, and snow that despite all your efforts to train them, the huskies have pi**ed on.


:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Have they got a word for snow falling inside your porch?