It can be a real shock to our body when we are enjoying warm weather one day and then we have snow the next day. We are looking for sunshine. We are looking for warmer temperatures AND we are excited about seeing flowers coming up. So, when the temperature drops and we are hit with snow, it can be difficult to be enthusiastic about more cold weather.

Is this article difficult to understand? Go to the adapted version!

As an eternal optimist, I’m going to explain to you why snow in spring is actually a good thing. You’ve heard of global warming. You know that glaciers are receding, water levels in oceans are going up, and crazy things are going on with our climate. But did you know that our mountaintops are also affected? Let’s talk about permafrost.

Up on the top of the mountains there is permafrost. There are different kinds of permafrost, but in layman’s terms, the ground is frozen. It can be ground that is frozen all-year round or it can be frozen seasonally. But the fact that the ground is frozen is a good thing.

When the ground is frozen, it works like glue to hold everything together. When I say everything, I mean soil, rocks, and boulders. As the temperature increases, this permafrost decreases in size. This loosens the bond that holds together these substances.

There is a cycle of freezing and thawing (warming of ground temperature) on the mountains. With the warmer temperatures, there is more thawing happening than freezing. This makes areas more prone to erosion, landslides and rockslides.

Have you noticed on the news that rockslides are more and more frequent? For people who are climbing up to Mont Blanc using the “classic route” there is a passage through a couloir appropriately nicknamed the “couloir of death”.

Why is it called that? It is known for rockfall. The only difference is, now with rising temperatures, the permafrost is receding and the glue that is holding these rocks together is decreasing. As a result, it is now even more dangerous to cross this couloir than is was in the past.

However, the permafrost isn’t the only thing in danger. The glaciers are also in trouble!

Another problem is that in the wintertime, when it snows in high altitudes, the snow is very light and dry. Normally this snow works as a protective layer for the glaciers to help keep it cold. But with the wind, this light snow is blown away from the top of the mountains. Unfortunately, there is more and more wind at these altitudes than there was in the past and there are summits that are completely bare.

The good news is that the snow in the springtime is heavier, causing it to stick to the mountaintops. This helps the snow become, once again, a protective layer for the glaciers. Without this protective layer, the glacier recedes faster than normal. That’s why it’s so important for us to have snow in the spring to replenish the snow at high altitudes and avoid the accelerated melting of the glaciers.  

So even if you are tired of seeing rain and snow, remember that this fresh layer of snow in the mountains is actually a good thing! Our mountains need it!!!   

Adapted Version

Why Snow in Spring is a Good Thing!

In parenthesis () there are explanations of words and phrases. These explanations are in italics.

It can be a real shock (surprise) to our body when we are enjoying warm weather one day and then we have snow the next day. We are looking for sunshine. We are looking for warmer temperatures AND we are excited about seeing flowers coming up. So, when the temperature drops (goes down) and we are hit with (receive more) snow, it can be difficult to be enthusiastic (happy) about more cold weather.

As an eternal (forever) optimist (seeing the positive side of something), I’m going to explain to you why snow in spring is actually a good thing. You’ve heard of global warming. You know that glaciers are receding (smaller), water levels in oceans are going up (increasing), and crazy things are going on (happening) with our climate. But did you know that our mountaintops are also affected? Let’s talk about (discuss) permafrost.

Up on the top of the mountains there is permafrost. There are different kinds of permafrost, but in layman’s terms (an easy to understand explanation), the ground is frozen (cold and solid). It can be ground that is frozen all-year round or it can be frozen seasonally. But the fact that the ground is frozen is a good thing.

When the ground is frozen, it works like glue (a substance that adheres items together) to hold everything together. When I say everything, I mean soil, rocks, and boulders (large pieces of the mountain). As the temperature increases, this permafrost decreases in size. This loosens (weakens) the bond that holds together these substances.

There is a cycle of freezing and thawing (warming of ground temperature) on the mountains. With the warmer temperatures, there is more thawing happening than freezing. This makes areas more prone to (increases the risk of) erosion, landslides (land that moves down the mountain), and rockslides (rocks that move down the mountain).

Have you noticed (seen) on the news that rockslides are more and more frequent? For people who are climbing up to Mont Blanc using the “classic route” there is a passage through a couloir appropriately nicknamed (unofficially named) the “couloir of death”.

Why is it called that? It is known for rockfall. The only difference is, now with rising temperatures, the permafrost is receding and the glue that is holding these rocks together is decreasing. As a result, it is now even more dangerous to cross this couloir than is was in the past.

However, the permafrost isn’t the only thing in danger. The glaciers are also in trouble (having problems)!

Another problem is that in the wintertime, when it snows in high altitudes, the snow is very light and dry. Normally this snow works as a protective layer for the glaciers to help keep it cold. But with the wind, this light snow is blown away (moved away) from the top of the mountains. Unfortunately, there is more and more wind at these altitudes than there was in the past and there are summits that are completely bare (have no snow).

The good news is that the snow in the springtime is heavier, causing it to stick (adhere) to the mountaintops. This helps the snow become, once again, a protective layer for the glaciers. Without this protective layer, the glacier recedes faster than normal. That’s why it’s so important for us to have snow in the spring to replenish (increase) the snow at high altitudes and avoid the accelerated melting of the glaciers.  

So even if you are tired of seeing (don’t want to see) rain and snow, remember that this fresh layer of snow in the mountains is actually a good thing! Our mountains need it!!!   

This post was updated November 5, 2019 to include an adapted version and an audio version.