Why,when the temperature goes above zero degrees centigrade,does any snow not all melt at once?

Question

My brother asked me this while we were skiing. We were sitting in a valley and the temperature was well over zero degrees C. If snow is ice and ice melts at this temperature, why didn't it look like it was going anywhere in a hurry?

Answer 1

This is a good question. The reason? It's due to the fact that snow is a very good reflector of the shortwave radiation that comes from the sun and so, does not absorb this radiation and melt. So how does the snow melt? Frequently it is caused by either the snow becoming dirty, making it more absorbant or by melting around its edges. Near the snow's edges, the sun is absorbed by the ground or other objects which then re-radiate longwave infrared or heat radiation. It is this longwave radiation that produces the melting, not the direct radiation from the Sun. Hope this helps explain this a little better.

Answer 2

Here is a simple experiment to find the answer.
Get a cookie sheet and place some snow at one end.
Then lift the end with the snow off the table just slightly.
Watch as the snow melts.
To explain: Snow is cold, obvious yes. A bunch of snow in a pile has the ability to keep itself cold even when the temperature is above zero. Our experiment should melt fairly fast, since there is only a little snow and the temperature of the room is going to be much warmer. Yet, if you watch the experiment you should notice the edge of the pile melting first, causing the pile to move down the tray. Snow that is packed hard, like at a ski lodge, will take longer to melt than loose fluffy snow. This is because as loose snow melts, the water has an easier time flowing downward, causing more snow to melt. To see this within the experiment, hold a hair dryer -at low speed- about 5cm above the pile. Of course the snow will melt from the center outward. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Contrary to popular belief, snow is a good insulator (mainly because of the air trapped within).

To melt, snow has to absorb energy from the environment. Initially, this energy will actually cool the surface of the snow and turn it into ice (wind chill, etc. has an effect). The reflectivity of the snow would stop most of the radiated heat from the sun from imparting more energy to the snow. Only after the snow has been exposed to temperatures significantly above zero degrees Centigrade for a prolonged period will the snow melt.

Answer 4

Snow is ice crystals with lots of air in it. The air acts an an insulator. That is why an igloo may be quite warm and comfortable inside.
You also have to remember that the air may be warm, but that the snow below the top layer is cold. The temperature of the snow can therefore be, on average, well below freezing despite the temperature being above 0C.

Answer 5

I imagine that the snow on top would melt first due to it being exposed to the air, the lower layers would not melt as fast because of the insulating properties of snow. It would also depend on whether or not the sun was shining, if the sun was bearing down on snow that would cause it to melt faster.

Answer 6

Because the snow underneath the snow which is on the surface is still very cold and stops it from melting.

Answer 7

the out layers will melt first as the temperature in the middle will stay fairly constant as it self insulates. over a long enough period it would warm up and eventually melt.

imagine it like a pie from the oven, the middle stays hot the longest, its the same principal but reversed.

Answer 8

i do not recognize the position your from yet no longer a lot the daylight will reason a number of it to soften because of sublimation that's even as a sturdy is going immediately to a gas like even as the ice cubes on your freezer almost disappear even although its below freezing. You cant particularly parent this stuff out because there are one of those number of aspects in contact yet your gonna have a lot left.

Answer 9

heat moves and flows. this takes time and there are still local cold areas. If you could change the tempeture of everything in the area at once, such as near a nuclear explosion, then it would all vaporise at once in that area

Answer 10

it not melt much because of the ground temp wont let it melt not all at once.
Tried to write your way so you can understand.....