Can it ever be too cold to snow?
It rarely snows when the temperature drops below zero degrees Fahrenheit because the atmosphere is too stable. One of the ingredients for snow is enough lifting of saturated air that snow can develop aloft and fall to reach the surface. When it is said, "it is too cold to snow, " in reality it means there is not enough lifting of air to cause snow to reach the surface. Even at very cold surface temperatures, significant snowfall can occur. Intense lifting can produce significant precipitation, even at very low temperatures. The temperature higher in the atmosphere can be much warmer than the air temperature at the surface, and that warm air aloft can hold more moist air than the colder air at the surface. And, moisture can be transferred into the area where lifting is occurring through advection (the horizontal movement of an air mass).
What is thundersnow?
Although thunderstorms are less common in the winter, sometimes lightning can occur within snowstorms and is called thundersnow. Thundersnow can be found where there is relatively strong instability and abundant moisture above the surface, such as above a warm front. Thundersnow is sometimes observed downstream of the Great Salt Lake and the Great Lakes during lake-effect snowstorms too.
How many inches of snow equals one inch of rain?
On average, thirteen inches of snow equals one inch of rain in the US, although this ratio can vary from two inches for sleet to nearly fifty inches for very dry, powdery snow under certain conditions.
Is it true a person loses most of his body heat through his head?
Yes, it's true. It is important to keep the head and neck covered and as warm as possible to delay or prevent hypothermia.
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