Snow, too cold?

dubtom

I'd like some clarification on this please experts. I know we don't get much snow here in Ireland, something that has always puzzled me is when snow is forecast or it's cold and looks like it's on the way, someone always says, no, it won't snow, it's too cold :eek: Too cold to snow. If, in Ireland , where lets face it we only get wussy temperatures, it's too cold, how come it snows in countries that have minus 10/20/30/40 degree's. Does it only snow there when it's +2 or something and then the temperature drops. I just don't get it. In the north or south poles when they have a storm, does it not snow at, say -40 or whatever, if it doesn't snow, does it rain at those temps.. Is it just an old irish wives tale or is there some truth to it. I know this a somewhat anal question,it's always bothered me though,especially as we're coming into the too cold to snow season.

arctictree

Nope - I don't think the phenomena you refer to can happen in Ireland.

Maybe the old wives tale comes from the fact that really cold winter air over Ireland is either from intense prolonged stationary high pressure or cold north easterlies. Neither event carries much moisture and therefore does not tend to produce much snow.

A

Snowbie

Yes it can be too cold for snow,well never here but at -24c and below the air is too cold to hold moisture and no precip in the form of snow can fall.

On avg the poles usually only have 3 or 4 inches of snow falling per year.This is only recorded in the sunlit months when the temps can rise several degrees above freezing in parts.
Most of the time the blizzards that occur at the poles are mostly from snow that is whipped up from one location and dumped at the next by strong vortices.

Gonzo

I hate that expression 'too cold for snow', so many of my relations use it, it cud be 4C outside and they'll say 'too cold for snow':) Its a rarity for temperatures here to go below 0C with precipitation here!

dubtom

So I am justified then in telling those who use the term that their talking out of their a*se.Woopee.
Thanks for the responces.

Supercell

Snow can fall at very low, low level temperatures.

What's more important is the temperatures higher up. In some places like northern Russia or Canada extreme surface cooling can occur and the air higher up is actually warmer.

For example have a look at http://www.uni-koeln.de/math-nat-fak/geomet/meteo/winfos/synNNWWarctis.gif

Any station with a * beside it means it snowing, multiple *'s mean heavier snow.

Anyone that tells you it's too cold for snow is talking rubbish scientifically.

However as arctictree correctly points out below, in Ireland the saying has a certain merit.

Maybe the old wives tale comes from the fact that really cold winter air over Ireland is either from intense prolonged stationary high pressure or cold north easterlies. Neither event carries much moisture and therefore does not tend to produce much snow.

rc28

Snowbie wrote: »

Yes it can be too cold for snow,well never here but at -24c and below the air is too cold to hold moisture and no precip in the form of snow can fall.

On avg the poles usually only have 3 or 4 inches of snow falling per year.This is only recorded in the sunlit months when the temps can rise several degrees above freezing in parts.
Most of the time the blizzards that occur at the poles are mostly from snow that is whipped up from one location and dumped at the next by strong vortices.

A similar debate on this forum;
http://theweatheroutlook.com/twocommunity/forums/t/13777.aspx
-41c with light snow in a certain part of russia (snow and not those ice pellet things)