Weather Tidbits: Snow-To-Liquid Ratios

This edition of Weather Tidbits discusses snow to liquid ratios, also known as snow ratios. Snow ratios are the percentage of water to snow. This explains that for some amount of snow in inches, there is one inch of water. Marginal temperatures typically feature lower ratios while colder air features higher ratios. At 34 degrees, snow has a wetter and heavier tendency with a lower snow ratio at around 5:1. This means that for 1 inch of water, there are 5 inches of snow. At 32 degrees, the snow ratio is typically 10:1, meaning that for one inch of water there are 10 inches of snow. At 18 degrees, the snow ratio increases to around 20:1. This is why fluffier snow will have an easier time accumulating than wet snow. Wetter snow is heavier due to the higher water content.