ENVR Snow that won't melt? What is going on here?

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Teeja

Teeja

On the Beach
So what is it? A fake video (complete hoax)? Or is there a scientific explanation for what is happening?

Inquiring minds wanna know...:hmm:
 
Teeja

Teeja

On the Beach
Okay. Weird, but I just tried this with some residual snow that's still on the ground here. Same thing happened with my snow here. Looked it up and apparently the video is not a hoax. What's happening is called "Sublimation", where a solid skips the liquid stage and goes directly into a gas. So that explains what is happening. Should have checked online before posting. Live and learn. Mods can close the thread if you think it's wise... on first glance, with all the derailment drama, I thought it might be related. But I guess not. Nothing to see here... literally.

Not sure if this has any effect upon the phrase "not a snowball's chance in hell" or not...
:lkick:
 
TammyinWI

TammyinWI

Talk is cheap
bw said:
Hoax.
Click to expand...
Is it?

I forgot about this but remember this from before!

Today, in clearing snow, I noticed a weird anomaly: many, many white bead-like balls, few different sizes, in with the snow.

Now I have lived in snowy winters for a long time, for decades. I saw an oddity but didn't think about trying to find a lighter or matches. . .hmmm, weird but I am afraid to try it.

Going back up to watch that vid now.
 
Wildweasel

Wildweasel

F-4 Phantoms Phorever
Teeja said:
So what is it? A fake video (complete hoax)? Or is there a scientific explanation for what is happening?

Inquiring minds wanna know...:hmm:
Click to expand...
You pack it into a snowball, you form a layer of ice on the outside. The ice acts as insulation, just like preventing front on strawberries by running sprinklers to put a layer of ice on them to prevent the berries from freezing.

The ice prevents the heat from the lighter from getting to the snowball to melt it.
 
Teeja

Teeja

On the Beach
TammyinWI said:
Today, in clearing snow, I noticed a weird anomaly: many, many white bead-like balls, few different sizes, in with the snow.
Click to expand...

That's also a naturally-occuring thing. If I remember correctly, it happens when you have colder temps and the right kind of atmospheric conditions. They're usually very small, as I remember, smaller than the size of an average pea for sure - about the size of a BB that's shot out of a BB-gun. I remember those types of small snow balls from when I was kid. Didn't happen often, but enough to know that it occurred once in a while. Those small snow balls almost seemed like they were made of Styrofoam and nearly sounded like it when you stepped on them. But they're all natural, nothing to worry about.
 
West

West

Senior
The one year I lived in Montana, I ice fished many weekdays on a local lake that frozen over ever year at least a foot and a half or more.

I would simply drive my car out onto the ice, next to a fishing hole and fish, when it was to cold to sit next to hole. I would fish from car window. Then jump out and land fish.

On nice days above 10f with low to no winds, I would build a fire on the ice, right next to hole. Seemed the fire would only melt a inch or two of ice! Fire was built right on the ice. And I could burn a whole trunk full of seasoned dry lodgepole in a good fishing day.
 
sy32478

sy32478

Veteran Member
West said:
The one year I lived in Montana, I ice fished many weekdays on a local lake that frozen over ever year at least a foot and a half or more.

I would simply drive my car out onto the ice, next to a fishing hole and fish, when it was to cold to sit next to hole. I would fish from car window. Then jump out and land fish.

On nice days above 10f with low to no winds, I would build a fire on the ice, right next to hole. Seemed the fire would only melt a inch or two of ice! Fire was built right on the ice. And I could burn a whole trunk full of seasoned dry lodgepole in a good fishing day.
Click to expand...
I've done that out on the ice on lake in Maine. Roaring bonfires for hours. But it was barely above 0F and heat rises anyway. It did melt a good 3-4 inches at the center but that was not a concern. It was the kind of cold where the snow squeaked loudly when trod upon, your nose froze up inside, and your beard or moustache had crystals of ice in it after only a few minutes.
 
West

West

Senior
sy32478 said:
I've done that out on the ice on lake in Maine. Roaring bonfires for hours. But it was barely above 0F and heat rises anyway. It did melt a good 3-4 inches at the center but that was not a concern. It was the kind of cold where the snow squeaked loudly when trod upon, your nose froze up inside, and your beard or moustache had crystals of ice in it after only a few minutes.
Click to expand...
Yeah, not only did I have down underwear, regular longjohns, wool socks, wool type flannel, heavy pants, caribou boots, and a downfilled parka with a huge hood.

But also full face covering and goggles.

Learn to breath a bit slower and never face the wind chill.
 
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