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I'm a keen skier, and I've often been happily surprised by snow fall despite temperatures of 1 or even 2 °C. After some research I found that the explanation relies in assuming that these above freezing temperatures are confined to a layer close to the surface as explained here: https://www.onthesnow.com/news/a/15198/can-it-snow-when-temps-are-above-freezing

However, today I saw the same phenomenon on a ski resort that reports temperatures at different heights, suggesting that the above freezing temperatures extended by at least a kilometer from the base. However, there were fluffy snowflakes falling anyways.

How can that happen?

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    $\begingroup$ @JeopardyTempest Agreed. But I am not the one who is going to start to raise the duplicate flag here. $\endgroup$
    – user1066
    Feb 18, 2018 at 2:43
  • $\begingroup$ Hi Jack, I saw that question but only read the accepted answer. So it is sublimation what keep the snowflakes frozen? That makes sense. Should I delete this question? In the link I posted said that evaporation of snowflakes cools down the air, but didn't explain it can keep snow cold on warm air. $\endgroup$
    – Pedro
    Feb 18, 2018 at 4:49
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    $\begingroup$ I found this link with a good explanation of that effect and even a calculator: sciencebits.com/SnowAboveFreezing That's explain what I saw. Thanks! $\endgroup$
    – Pedro
    Feb 18, 2018 at 4:57
  • $\begingroup$ No need to delete... in fact as I reread it, I'm convinced it's not really quite a duplicate... in fact I think there's something important in the data you mentioned. I plan on piecing a quick answer together. $\endgroup$
    – JeopardyTempest
    Feb 18, 2018 at 7:39
  • $\begingroup$ @Pedro: Reading through some papers, my answer appears not entirely as simple as I thought it might be. I still may be able to work up a decent useful answer if you can tell me the location you were at $\endgroup$
    – JeopardyTempest
    Feb 19, 2018 at 8:05

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