snow on the mountains does not melt all at once when it is heated by the sun because
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Temperature and direct sunlight affects how quickly the snow will melt
The part of the snow pack that is visible to the sun is the only part that actually get blasted by the sun so it slowly gets heated by the sun.
For a lot of the mountains out West even in the summer the nights are cool or down right cold. For example, the Sierra Nevadas receive temperatures below freezing 12 months of the year that means the snow pack will freeze over night and have to start melt-freeze cycle again the next day. This is what skiers/snowboarders call the “Corn” cycle… the 2nd best snow conditions after powder.
Aspect - If you look at mountains certain sides or slopes of the mountain melt quicker than other sides. This is due to the sun hitting the slopes with more direct sunlight than other. During the winter in the Northern Hemisphere the sun is lower on the horizon (more southerly) and so the north slopes don’t get any direct sunlight. And since the sun rises in the east and sets in the west usually in the morning the temperatures are cooler meaning that the snow won’t melt as fast as westerly aspects that get the brunt of the sun when it is the warmest of the day.
The part of the snow pack that is visible to the sun is the only part that actually get blasted by the sun so it slowly gets heated by the sun.
For a lot of the mountains out West even in the summer the nights are cool or down right cold. For example, the Sierra Nevadas receive temperatures below freezing 12 months of the year that means the snow pack will freeze over night and have to start melt-freeze cycle again the next day. This is what skiers/snowboarders call the “Corn” cycle… the 2nd best snow conditions after powder.
Aspect - If you look at mountains certain sides or slopes of the mountain melt quicker than other sides. This is due to the sun hitting the slopes with more direct sunlight than other. During the winter in the Northern Hemisphere the sun is lower on the horizon (more southerly) and so the north slopes don’t get any direct sunlight. And since the sun rises in the east and sets in the west usually in the morning the temperatures are cooler meaning that the snow won’t melt as fast as westerly aspects that get the brunt of the sun when it is the warmest of the day.
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