If you’ve ever been on a chairlift when warmer temperatures call for rain but instead noticed snowflakes soaking into your coat, this question applies to you: Can it snow when temperatures are above freezing?
Snow temperatures are cold at cloud level in most cases, causing the precipitation to start out as snow. The snowflakes retain their flakiness and fall as snow if the air temperature is colder than freezing all the way from the cloud to the ground.
Snow forms when the atmospheric temperature is at or below freezing (0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit) and there is a minimum amount of moisture in the air. That’s when the snow will reach the ground.
Cold vs. warm air
The air between the cloud and the ground in certain situations is not always below freezing. This actually happens more frequently along the east coast of the U.S. When big storms move south to north along the coastline (known as Nor’Easters), the flow around the storm pulls in air from the Atlantic Ocean. The oceanic air is very moist and can produce lots of snow. This is also bad at times, though, because the same oceanic air is also warm. If the air is warmer than freezing, the snowflakes that fall from the clouds will hit the warm air on their way to the ground and melt into raindrops.
As the raindrop falls, it might encounter air that is once again colder than freezing. Since colder air is heavier than warmer air, sometimes it can ‘hang out’ very close to the ground and refuse to move despite the best efforts of the warm air trying to push it out of the way.
So back to our example, the snowflake that melted into a raindrop would hit this colder air near the ground. If the cold air is thick enough and extends from the ground up a few thousand feet, the raindrop will have enough time to melt back into a solid ball of ice, which is called sleet. If the cold air is just near the ground and only extends a few hundred feet above the ground, the raindrop won’t spend enough time in the cold air to freeze back into sleet, but it will freeze when it hits a cold surface on the ground (power line, grass, road, etc).
We can all use weather models to find snow
Is it ever too cold to snow?
No. it can snow even at an incredibly cold temperature as long as there is some source of moisture in the air and a way to lift or cool the air. Still, most heavy snowfalls occur relatively warm. air temperatures near the ground. That’s because air can hold more water vapor at warmer temps.
When temperatures are above freezing
The snowflake will fall as a snowflake all the way toward the ground if the temperature at the ground is right around or just above freezing. The snowflake might not have enough time to melt as it falls since it’s only spending a short time in the warmer air before it hits the ground. So yes, as the graphic shows, snow can fall all the way to the ground even when temperatures are above freezing at the surface.
One last “cool fact,” (so to speak) is that the temperature can actually cool a few degrees due to evaporation if it’s just starting to snow.Some of the flakes will evaporate and this process actually cools the air if snowflakes fall into drier air. Keep an eye on the temperature when the first flakes begin to fly during the next snowstorm. When you catch sight of the first flakes, check back just a few minutes later if the temperature is just above freezing. Chances are the temperature fell a few degrees because of evaporation and hopefully, this gives us a better shot of having that snow accumulate into a meaningful powder day.
FAQs
The snowflake might not have enough time to melt as it falls since it's only spending a short time in the warmer air before it hits the ground. So yes, as the graphic shows, snow can fall all the way to the ground even when temperatures are above freezing at the surface.
Can it snow when the temps are above freezing? ›
Snow forms when the atmospheric temperature is at or below freezing (0°C or 32°F). If the ground temperature is at or below freezing, the snow will reach the ground. However, the snow can still reach the ground when the ground temperature is above freezing if the conditions are just right.
What happens to snow if the ground temperature is above freezing? ›
When snow crystals fall through warmer air, they may melt and turn to rain — but only if it's warm enough to melt them completely by the time they land. Melt rates depend not just on temperature, but also on the humidity of the air.
What's the highest temperature it can snow at? ›
It turns out that you don't need temperatures below freezing for snow to fall. In fact, snow can fall at temperatures as high as 50 degrees. Most residents of the northern United States have probably seen 40-degree snowfalls before, but snow at temperatures greater than 45 degrees is hard to come by.
Does it have to be below freezing to make snow? ›
In order for the surface precipitation type to be snow, the atmospheric temperature (dashed red line in Figure 1) must be at or below 32°F (0°C) to ensure that no melting occurs. However, there are other special circ*mstances when snow can occur at the surface despite the entire atmosphere not being below freezing.
Can it snow if it's above 32 degrees? ›
GREAT FALLS — We are taught in grade school that water freezes at 32 degrees. Have you ever wondered why it can still snow at temperatures above the freezing point? Under the right circ*mstances, snow can actually fall with a temperature at the surface as high as 50 degrees.
Can it snow at 20 degrees? ›
Snow generally happens in below-freezing weather. But, at extremely cold temperatures (below 0 degreess fahrenheit/ -20 degrees celsius), the air tends to be very dry, and less snow tends to fall. So as a general rule, I expect snow when the weather is somewhere from 10 degrees to 32 degrees.
How high does the temperature have to be for snow to melt? ›
Meteorologists say since the freezing point of water is 32 degrees Fahrenheit, or 0 degrees Celsius, air must be warmer than that for it to melt. On a 40-degree day, an estimated inch of snow is lost. On a 50-degree day, up to 2-4 inches of snow can melt away.
How long does it have to be below freezing for the ground to freeze? ›
There are several factors involved for the ground to freeze: sub-freezing temperatures, adequate moisture in the soil, and time. In fact, it takes at least five or more days and nights below freezing for the ground to freeze.
At what temperature will the ground freeze? ›
When ground temperatures drop to 0°C (32°F), the water trapped in sediment, soil, and pores of rocks turns to ice. Once frozen, it is considered frozen ground. When ground remains frozen for at least two consecutive years, it is known as permafrost. Ground that freezes and thaws every year is called seasonally frozen.
The snowflakes retain their flakiness and fall as snow if the air temperature is colder than freezing all the way from the cloud to the ground. Snow forms when the atmospheric temperature is at or below freezing (0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit) and there is a minimum amount of moisture in the air.
Has it ever snowed in Florida? ›
Has it ever snowed in Florida? Yes, it has. While snow doesn't exactly fall every year, even in North Florida, it has made an appearance, much to the delight of several residents. The first documented account of snow in Florida was reported in 1774, according to the Florida Climate Center.
What is a rapid falling of snow called? ›
Snow Squall - a brief, intense fall of snow of a showery nature, usually accompanied by gusty surface winds.
At what temp does snow become slushy? ›
Since slush only forms at temperatures close to zero, it can change rapidly. If it gets a little warmer, the snow will immediately melt, but if it gets colder, it can quickly turn into ice. That's why slush can be classified as a weather hazard for transport.
Why does snow often remain even when daytime temperatures are higher than the freezing temperature? ›
Temperatures to the left of this line are below freezing, while temperatures to the right are above freezing. Since the snowflakes do not pass through a layer of air warm enough to cause them to melt, they remain intact and reach the ground as snow.
What temperature does snow turn to ice? ›
Snow is precipitation in the form of ice crystals. It originates in clouds when temperatures are below the freezing point (0 degrees Celsius, or 32 degrees Fahrenheit), when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses directly into ice without going through the liquid stage.
How cold does it have to be to freeze? ›
Frost becomes more widespread when the temperature falls below 32°F with some freeze possible. A hard freeze is possible when temperatures fall below 28°F.
