Light & Fluffy, or Heavy & Wet?

Hello again readers, and passers-by!
I was recently asked on our facebook page… (Which you are more than welcome to become a fan of)

"Why is snow sometimes light and powdery and other times heavy and wet?"

I have asked around, and researched this mystery myself, and here are the basics of what I have discovered about types of snow.

The consistency of the snow is heavily based on the temperature of the atmosphere and surface while the snow is falling. When the air is cold, both aloft, and at the surface, snow tends to be light and powdery. (This is great for skiers and snowboarders!) When the air is warmer, the ice crystals tend to be clump together which makes the snow denser and heavier.(Wet, dense snow is hard to shovel, but great for making snowmen!) Meteorologists need to know what type of snow will fall, because they need to be able to tell people what to watch out for. Whether it be slush, ice, or snow drifts on the roadways.

Hope this answers your question! Keep ‘em coming!