Why Snow Doesn’t Melt Immediately: Unveiling The Factors At Play

Another winter storm fell on the Tri-State this week, so when will all the snow melt? I just assumed when the air temperature rose above 32 degrees, and voila! It turns out it's not that simple.

First, this week's snow was powdery and not as solid as the ice associated with it a couple of weeks ago. You could sweep off all that snow on your porch or steps. If there's a little ice, I like to break it up and kick it off my deck. Unless salt or melting solution was spread, most of the snow stayed around this week because of bitter cold temperatures.

But sometimes the sun can melt things before the air hits the melting point. And how does it happen?

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The sun is the main key, but did you know where the sun is positioned in the sky can melt things faster?

Considering winter itself, the long days don't last forever, and as early as February, the sun is just as strong and as high as it is in October. The ground temperature plays a part thus we didn't see snow like we had back in January. You notice that in one spot where there's still snow, there's a good chance the sun can't quite reach it; shadows make a difference.

Humidity also helps with the melting process; what?! We don't usually associate humidity with cold weather in these parts, but the higher it is, the faster the melting; the more you know.