Facts about snow
Here are some facts about snow and ice taken from the National Snow & Ice Data Center. Yes, that is a real thing, and it’s more interesting than it sounds, as I’ve already killed half my afternoon browsing the site. But I’ll save you some time and post up some of the highlights:
- A ‘Thundersnow’ is a thunderstorm with snow falling instead of rain, it would also be a good name for a cheesy 80’s Heavy Metal band.
The greatest snowfall officially reported in Phoenix, Arizona, was one inch. That occurred twice. The first time was January 20, 1933. It happened again four years later on the same date.
- In the western United States, mountain snow pack contributes up to 75 percent of all year-round surface water supplies, and 90% of all “good-for-skiing snow.”
- Practically every location in the United States has seen snowfall. Even most portions of southern Florida have seen a few snow flurries. Miami still has the record for building the world’s smallest snowman.
- It can never be too cold to snow, but most snow falls at around 15 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer, which is -9 degrees Celsius. But nobody really cares about Celsius.
- According to the definition of ‘mineral’- “a naturally occurring homogeneous solid, inorganically formed, with a definite chemical composition and an ordered atomic arrangement,” snow is a mineral. Mind = blown.