Good morning fellow out of the box thinkers, snow enthusiasts, language enthusiasts, science enthusiasts, and bloggers from around the world!  Today I will be talking about my favourite thing in the world  (next to family and music), SNOW.

What are the different types of snow, how do they form and how do I predict for snow? No I am no genius, and the information I have reasearched does not mean that you can guess 100% of the time weather it will snow (pun intended), however I will give you a good chance.

100 words for snow

There are many different forms of snow and ice, and therefore there are many words for snow in the cultures that deal with them most. There is a century long debate whether of not there are hundreds of Inuit words for snow. I believe it, but I’m not here to start a commenting war… or am I!?

 – The Inuit/Eskimo words I use to describe snow may be from multiple languages –

(I included Eskimo as a term because I used Alaskan Yup’ik. In Alaska, “Eskimo” is the most common term for the native peoples and even preferred to some indigenous peoples there)

Simple Snow Science

In the air, way up in the clouds, the moisture in the clouds condense. When it is below freezing in that fluffy kingdom (clouds) the moisture condenses into tiny crystals of ice. This is the beginning of snow. The temperature at ground level, amount of wind, and temperature at condensing level are the main factors for what type of snow it becomes (if it doesn’t turn to rain or hail).

Predicting Powder (pukak)

If the air is cold enough when snow falls(-4 and colder), the energy created by the friction of the ice crystals smashing together will not be enough for them to partially melt and refreaze in order to form together. This means that they cannot form now flakes, and therefore remains  powder. While on the ground, if the temperature remains the same, and the snow is not affected by wind or sun, the powder is here to stay until the circumstances change.

Suspecting Slush (matsaaruti)

Multiple things must be considered in order to determine whether it is the right circumstance for slush. The first and most obvious is temperature, the warmer it is outside will determine the likelihood of slush forming. If it is 3 degrees Celsius or higher, there is a great chance of slush, if not rain. However slush is still possible in lower climates. If it is super windy, it may be 0 degrees, but your snow may be very wet. This is because the extra wind creates more force between the ice crystals, which means more friction, and more heat.

I hope this information is useful to determine whether your streets will be bight and sparkling, or slippery and spiteful!

Icy Crust (qetrar)

If the sun melts the snow during the daylight hours, your snow will form a crust of ice from the melted snowflakes on the top. This crust can also be formed by wind condensing the outer layers of the snow bank.

This form of snow can be dangerous , annoying, or a complete joy! Crunching through the snow in the crisp morning air can turn and grumpy Monday into a delight.

Idealistic Building Snow (piegnartoq)

The conditions for the best mouldable snow consists of -3 to 0 degrees temperature, little wind, and no moisture on whatever it is about to land upon. These conditions are ideal for building snow and this is why:

The wind drives many of the ice crystals together, creating larger flakes, and creating more friction between the crystals causing them to stick together. You have to be careful while determining if the wind is too harsh for good snow, or else your predictions of a wonderful winter wonderland will turn to disappointment from a world of slush. The temperature -3 to 0 degrees is ideal because it is not so cold that the forming of powder occurs, and not so warm that the snow turns to sleet or rain before it hits the ground.

I hope that you have enjoyed learning the science of snow, and it’s many many descriptors (hundreds of Inuit words for snow). I also hope you enjoy snow as much as I do, but I must say that is not likely!

Feel free to debate or science out in the comments below!