What are these odd formations in the snow? They look like frozen tumbleweeds — and that’s almost exactly what they are. They’re called “snow rollers,” and they form only in very specific conditions.
Winter is on a roll (see what I did there?) with the fourth nor’easter in just three weeks that brought yet another round of snow and wind to parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast this past week. While four back-to-back winter storms during the month of March is notable by itself, this storm was even more unusual, considering it occurred on the first full day of spring.
These goofy-looking snow rollers are also known as “snow bales,” “wind snowballs” or “snow doughnuts.” So how they form? National Geographic offered a nice description:
There must be a light dusting of snow on top of an icy layer on the ground, often on a hill or other expanse with no protruding vegetation. The dusting needs to be just wet enough so that it can adhere to itself but not stick to the ground. The wind must be around 30 miles per hour to coax the snow into its cylindrical shape, and the temperature must be three to five degrees above freezing. This level of cold allows for the rolling snow to form these fun shapes, but it doesn’t let the snow melt completely.
The East Coast wasn’t the only place that saw a surge of winter on the first day of spring. The same winter storm dropped record-setting snow over parts of the Tennessee and Ohio valleys, including Kentucky, where Louisville saw an astounding 8.6 inches of snow, enough for a Top 10 March snowstorm.
Then, as if the snow wasn’t enough, the cold air that blasted in behind the winter storm created stunning frosty scenes, such as this one of hoarfrost in London, Ky.
So after a very wintry first few days of spring, I’ll leave you with one question: Are you over winter?
Weather is awesome. #cwgpicoftheweek