Wednesday, November 13, 2013

It snowed yesterday...

As I'm sure you noticed, it snowed yesterday.

Snowflakes

As the weeks go on, this may happen more often.  During winter (which officially starts December 21st), you will see snow, but you will also see other kinds of precipitation.

Precipitation is any moisture that comes from the clouds and falls to the earth.  In Delaware during the winter time, it can come in many forms.  Here are the most common ones you'll need to know.

Rain, of course, will be pretty common this winter.  I personally hope it will snow more than rain, but that's just me.  If it's just raining a little, it's drizzling, sprinkling, or spitting, and if it's raining a lot, it's pouring, or raining buckets.

When the weather gets cold, it can do some other interesting things.

Sleet is very small balls of ice.  It is clear and it bounces when it hits the ground.  It is formed when rain freezes before it hits the ground.  When a pile of sleet accumulates, it can look like snow.

Freezing rain is very cold rain that freezes when it touches the ground or another surface. It can be dangerous because the ice is clear and heavy.  If freezing rain falls on a road, it will become very slippery.  If it falls on power lines or tree branches, the weight of the ice may bring the branch or power line down.

Snow, of course, is the white fluffy stuff.  In Delaware, it usually comes in small amounts, like one or two inches at a time.  It's also usually wet and heavy.  Sometimes, however, it can fall in larger amounts.  A few years ago, we got two snow storms in a row, and we had feet of snow.

Light (dry) snow falls when the temperature is very low.  It can be dangerous because it drifts (blows in the wind) across roads or against buildings.  It's also the best kind of snow for skiing.

The Snowman

Heavy (wet) snow falls when the temperature is at or right below freezing (32 degrees F or 0 degrees C).  It can be dangerous because its weight can bring down tree branches or damage roofs of buildings.  It's also the more fun kind of snow if you like building snowmen or snow forts or having snowball fights.

Whatever the weather does this winter, remember to have fun and be safe!

Do you have snow in your home country?  Do you like winter weather?  Are you excited to see snow this winter?

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