Does it snow over water?

Question

I cant imagine snowing in the ocean. If it is not possible, what is preventing it from snowing over mass bodies of water?

well land surrounds a lake, so the clouds would go over the lake eventually. i mean the ocean, for example, atlantic ocean, does it snow right in the middle of that?

Aha! No one brought up that clouds, especially clouds that carry snow, rarely are seen in the ocean.

Answer 1

Yes it does, but the water melts it. Until the body of water freezes, then the water will eat the snow.

Answer 2

Yes, but not as often as one might think. While on patrol near the Bearing Strait, we encountered one of the worst snow storms I've ever seen. And I grew up in snow belt country around the Great Lakes. But over the four years operating off an aircraft carrier, mostly in the northern parts of the Pacific Ocean, that was the only memorable snow storm I encountered.

In the winter times, the ocean temperatures are typically warmer than the land mass temperatures. This results because water retains heat better than ground does. So at night time, after the sun goes down, the land masses cool quickly, while the ocean surfaces cool more slowly.

As a consequence, precipitation that starts out as snow over water encounters the warmth coming up from the ocean surface and melts. It becomes rain. If that same snow started out over a land mass, it probably would not encounter a warm layer. Instead, the cold ground would tend to keep the air above cold; so the precipitation that started out as snow would stay as snow all the way down.

Bottom line, yes it snows over the oceans, but, under comparable conditions, it does not reach the water surface as often as it reaches the land surface.

Answer 3

Ummm unless there is a huge layer over mass bodies of water that we don't know about, trying to stop snow from hitting the water. The snow would just decenegrate into the water because snow is water so that would be pointless to even think it wouldn't snow over the ocean.

Answer 4

Yes it does. Storm clouds that produce snow in ex: the north east US may move out over the Atlantic. They will continue to produce snow for a while. It does not stop them.

Answer 5

Let me ask you this; When was the last time you saw a snow-plow in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean ??!! lol

Answer 6

Watch the World's Most Dangerous Job--Crab Fishing...It snowed really heavily while they were out on the ocean crabbing.

Answer 7

yes, it is possible and happen easily.

Snow forms at temperature 0C. Ocean won't freeze until it is much lower due to the salty content.

So, when temperature dropped below 0c and enough moisture in the air, snow will fall even over ocean.

Answer 8

It snows on water

I get 10 -15 feet of snow every year near Lake Erie

Answer 9

it snows over water---look at lakes-how would it stop from snowing only above bodies of water??!?

Answer 10

YES,but it quickly melts due to salinity in the ocean.