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Resources and Information Page About Snow
Learn More About Snow
What is the Cryosphere? What properties does snow have and how does snow affect the earth? Learn about these things
and more; plus find lots of "cool" maps of ice and snow cover at the CRYSYS Web site:
How Much Snow is Normal?
CRYSYS, is a specialist research group studies snow and ice in Canada and the USA. This animated map table
shows the average monthly North American snow cover from 1972 to 1993.
Snow and Ice USA Loop - 1 Month
Look at these up-to-date animated maps of snow and ice cover recorded daily in North America.
North American Map of Current Snow Cover Anomolies
Do we really have more or less snow than "normal" or "average?" Take a look at this North American
map (scroll down mid-page) to discover for yourself. Plots are updated on a 6 to 7 week basis.
NOAA-Snowfall - Average Total Inches in Hundreds of US Cities
This page has a big chart showing the average show fall over the last many years each month of the year. Lists
hundreds of towns in the US.
Questions and Answers about Snow
Why is snow a good insulator? Is it ever too cold to snow? How big do snowflakes get? These questions and more
to answer some of your "cool" questions.
Temperatures Are Higher as You Go Lower
According to Purdue University's Horticulture Specialist news, "Snow is an excellent insulator; the extent
of protection depends on the depth of snow. Generally, the temperature below the snow increases by about 2 F for
each inch of accumulation. In addition, the soil gives off some heat so that the temperature at the soil surface
can be much warmer than the air temperature. One study found that the soil surface temperature was 28 F with a
9-inch snow depth and an air temperature of -14 F!"
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