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Above freezing? Read some news this morning that lots of snow is expected across eastern Ukraine. Maybe the weather shifted..

cryptoz 5y ago
Both can be true. Temps don't need to be below freezing for lots of snow to fall.
- InitialLastName 5y ago
  Eastern Ukraine is also not where Kyiv is, or where the swamp I wouldn't want to drive a tank across outside of winter [0] is. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinsk_Marshes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinsk_Marshes
  - bpodgursky 5y ago
    Fwiw I've seen a lot of pictures of tanks and other heavy vehicles stranded in muddy fields (presumably wheat or sunflower).
- Y-bar 5y ago
  In addition to what you say: A snow cover will act as insulation and prevent ground frost from penetrating deep compared to bare ground (something small winter-active mammal can attest to).
- falcolas 5y ago
  Can confirm, with much grumbling to boot…
- stormbrew 5y ago
  Yep, snow happens when the temperature at the cloud layer is low enough. Ground temp can be higher and the snow will still make it to the ground. Might melt immediately, or if it's snowing enough it could form an insulating layer that keeps snow on the ground a bit longer. Honestly, snow and air temperature have a bit of a counterintuitive relationship. It can also be too cold to snow, so a lot of really cold places are actually really dry and get very little precipitation because of that.
  - greyhair 5y ago
    And what is worse, if the ground is starting to thaw from below, if you get a foot or two of snow on top, it insulates the ground from the freezing air, and the ground temps will drive upward from below, turn the soil into a muddy mess. The same happens with rivers. A frozen river, with a heavy snowfall, will quickly thaw from below.
- throwoutway 5y ago
  I forgot that thank you
bamboozled 5y ago
If there’s a lot of snow and temps at the ground are above zero, it’s a worse situation for the Russian barbarians. It will become even more wet and muddy.
- brailsafe 5y ago
  I think people who don't get snow can't really picture how bad it gets. It does depend on the terrain, but coming from central Canada, a bit of snow on a thawed ground is ridiculous. Wet earth is bad enough. Totally frozen is ideal if you're equipped for snow/ice travel, but variable conditions are pretty untenable. That said, I've never been driving around in military equipment, so I figure that's gotta help a bit.
  - greyhair 5y ago
    Dairy farmhand outside Buffalo NY in the early 1970s. Snow over the top of recently thawed ground was the worst. Particularly if there was still a frozen layer three or four inches down. Rendered tractors unusable.
- jker 5y ago
  If you don’t mind, let’s please refrain from name-calling, including and especially against nationalities and ethnicities.
  - PhantomGremlin 5y ago
    - sumedh 5y ago
      Do you also name call other Western nations because what you described applies to them as well.
      - djohnston 5y ago
        Right we aren't discussing that though are we? Were discussing the current unprovoked invasion by a bunch of Russian barbarians.
laacz 5y ago
Lots of snow and mild sub-zero temperatures do not mean that land freezes. It's upper crust may freeze, but that is no match for anything weighting a ton or more.

cryptoz 5y ago

Both can be true. Temps don't need to be below freezing for lots of snow to fall.

InitialLastName 5y ago
Eastern Ukraine is also not where Kyiv is, or where the swamp I wouldn't want to drive a tank across outside of winter [0] is. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinsk_Marshes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinsk_Marshes
- bpodgursky 5y ago
  Fwiw I've seen a lot of pictures of tanks and other heavy vehicles stranded in muddy fields (presumably wheat or sunflower).
Y-bar 5y ago
In addition to what you say: A snow cover will act as insulation and prevent ground frost from penetrating deep compared to bare ground (something small winter-active mammal can attest to).
falcolas 5y ago
Can confirm, with much grumbling to boot…
stormbrew 5y ago
Yep, snow happens when the temperature at the cloud layer is low enough. Ground temp can be higher and the snow will still make it to the ground. Might melt immediately, or if it's snowing enough it could form an insulating layer that keeps snow on the ground a bit longer. Honestly, snow and air temperature have a bit of a counterintuitive relationship. It can also be too cold to snow, so a lot of really cold places are actually really dry and get very little precipitation because of that.
- greyhair 5y ago
  And what is worse, if the ground is starting to thaw from below, if you get a foot or two of snow on top, it insulates the ground from the freezing air, and the ground temps will drive upward from below, turn the soil into a muddy mess. The same happens with rivers. A frozen river, with a heavy snowfall, will quickly thaw from below.
throwoutway 5y ago
I forgot that thank you

bamboozled 5y ago

If there’s a lot of snow and temps at the ground are above zero, it’s a worse situation for the Russian barbarians. It will become even more wet and muddy.

brailsafe 5y ago
I think people who don't get snow can't really picture how bad it gets. It does depend on the terrain, but coming from central Canada, a bit of snow on a thawed ground is ridiculous. Wet earth is bad enough. Totally frozen is ideal if you're equipped for snow/ice travel, but variable conditions are pretty untenable. That said, I've never been driving around in military equipment, so I figure that's gotta help a bit.
- greyhair 5y ago
  Dairy farmhand outside Buffalo NY in the early 1970s. Snow over the top of recently thawed ground was the worst. Particularly if there was still a frozen layer three or four inches down. Rendered tractors unusable.
jker 5y ago
If you don’t mind, let’s please refrain from name-calling, including and especially against nationalities and ethnicities.
- PhantomGremlin 5y ago
  - sumedh 5y ago
    Do you also name call other Western nations because what you described applies to them as well.
    - djohnston 5y ago
      Right we aren't discussing that though are we? Were discussing the current unprovoked invasion by a bunch of Russian barbarians.

laacz 5y ago

Lots of snow and mild sub-zero temperatures do not mean that land freezes. It's upper crust may freeze, but that is no match for anything weighting a ton or more.