![]() ![]() Think of how your own body responds to heat differently depending on how humid it is. Melt rates depend not just on temperature, but also on the humidity of the air. (Image credit: Desert Research Institute) Snow falling in high humidity areas can transition to rain more quickly than in low humidity areas. And you don’t have to be in the mountains to submit a response: Observers from anywhere snowy are invited to upload their observations! When hundreds or thousands of people share their response, the Mountain Rain or Snow team will be able to make better estimates of precipitation phase change and improve the assumptions on which satellite-based and model products make calculations. The project starts with a simple question: What is falling from the sky right now? Take Part: Mountain Rain or Snow Mountain Rain or Snow is a new citizen science project designed to alleviate this challenge for water managers and other hydrologic scientists. And no matter where you live, city planners want to know how their snowplow and salt truck fleets will be in demand. Especially in the mountains, snowfall affects snowpack water storage, avalanche forecasting, flood predictions, and more. An inch of snow differs a lot from an inch of rain, and correctly identifying a precipitation phase (is it snowing, raining, or mixed?) isn’t as easy as adding a 32☏ threshold to weather models and radar algorithms. Scientists and water managers across broad geographic regions rely on accurate estimates of precipitation across the winter season. There’s a straightforward reason why it can snow above 32☏ - though it does make it more challenging for meteorologists to forecast whether rain, snow, or something else will be falling from the sky during an upcoming precipitation event.īefore the big reveal, it’s worth mentioning how big of a deal this phenomenon really is, even beyond your snow-day plans. Don’t worry, your thermometer isn’t broken, and you didn’t miss a memo about a change in the laws of physics. The SciStarter BlogĪ glimpse at the temperature during the next snowfall might surprise you: It may not actually be below freezing outside. How can it snow when temperatures are above freezing? Mountain Rain or Snow has the answer - and wants your help studying it.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |