Dense question alert! Does rain turn to snow when the temperature goes below freezing? OYBK?

[LarvaeLamp]

Or can it snow in positive temps, or rain when it is minus? What makes snow snow and rain just rain. What about sleet, frozen rain?
Or is it just too complicated to say??

Morning bump - OYBK are you around?

Will you be satisfied if I say it is complicated? Very.

A leettle bit more explanation would be good
Are you another weather guru?

Not exactly an expert - but I did learn a lot of stuff at uni about weather.

It can snow and rain at positive and minus temps. Factors such as humidity, direction of air movement, cloud levels all have an effect.
BAsically miniscule water droplets freeze into cyrstals at very low temps, a few stick together and become heavy enough to fall ie snow.

Sleet is part defrosted snow,
Hail is water droplets that have frozen and melted within the cloud a few times, each time gaining a little more mass before falling.

Snow only forms on the front of certain pressure systems whereas rain is not so fussy which is why it can be vvery cold and still rain.

Ok! that helps .

Another question that may be impossible to answer - is it more likely to snow when the weather is coming from the East than the West - or does it depend on humidity, cloud level etc?

I suppose what I am getting at is - is snow a random thing; the result of a lot of factors co-inciding, which is why we don't get it very often, or can snow happen as long as a few factors are in place?

Oh, and is it going to snow again this winter ?

Ok! that helps .

Another question that may be impossible to answer - is it more likely to snow when the weather is coming from the East than the West - or does it depend on humidity, cloud level etc?

I suppose what I am getting at is - is snow a random thing; the result of a lot of factors co-inciding, which is why we don't get it very often, or can snow happen as long as a few factors are in place?

Oh, and is it going to snow again this winter ?

Sorry didn't see this been very very very busy.

Snow - starts off in clouds as snow. Then depends on what it travels through.

If it goes through warm air it melts! but.... as it melts, if you get dry air in that layer of air you can get something called evaporative cooling. This cools the air down espcially if you get heavy precipitation and it can make it cold enough for it to remain as snow.

Now, if you do have heavy snow, as long as the air is cold above it can last even when the temp in the air close to ground level is above zero.

snow definitely is partially dependent on humidity, low humidity=more likely to be snow.

direction only matters in that the atlantic is relatively warm so showers that are feeding in from the west tend to be from warmer air and generally more likely to be rain. Of course if that warm rainy air hits cold air from the east them where that happens = much snow.

hail - can start off as snow, or rain. If it is snow then obv it has melted then refrozen.

sleet is just when it can't make up its mind!

snow again this winter? i'd put money on it.

Ta very much. I'm learning a lot today!

Tis a complicated business, snow.

Why are you betting on more to come - what do you know . Do you reckon more snow even for the SE?

Ta very much. I'm learning a lot today!

Tis a complicated business, snow.

Why are you betting on more to come - what do you know . Do you reckon more snow even for the SE?

I don't have concrete evidence for that, but I do think that there is pretty good potential early/mid Feb.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

So much of our work has already been postponed because of snow we have stuff on top of stuff! Please no more snow. Unless you can arrange for it to be postponed until mid March?

I could be wrong!! just shove it my way and I'll look after it for you.

It is snowing here in Norfolk! V heavy. Has settled. Can make snowmen.

oh wow! how is it this morning?

Still a blanket of snow on ground, but doesn't look like there was any over night. Very icy underfoot though.

Yesterday it was a real proper snowstorm. What with the moon and mars colliding last night to shine the brightest it will be all year, I took the dog out at midnight across the fields and it was as bright as day with the moon reflecting on the snow. Quite amazing.

More forecast for later today I think. We are South Norfolk.

You guys are so lucky to have some snow. The temperature here has really been fluctuating. It has either been + 5 etc and raining, and - 8-14 and clear skies.

We rarely seem to get any clouds here when it is so cold. Yesterday we had icy fog.

East Norfolk - & about 2 inches (only 10 miles from the sea)

how come i did a geography degree and don't know this stuff.... perhaps i wasn't listening