Bleak, Blizzard Conditions in Blacksburg

Beginning late in the night on Saturday February 3^rd and continuing into the early morning of Sunday, snow and freezing rain infiltrated Blacksburg, Virginia, blanketing the Virginia Tech campus.  As the temperature warmed, the freezing rain returned to its more common liquid state; however, that did not help to eliminate the slushy, slippery conditions.  In fact, the additional rain induced minor flooding, as the saturated ground had already reached its water carrying capacity.  This picture, taken outside of West Ambler Johnston residence hall on February 4^th, portrays the aforementioned snowy conditions.  For this particular weather phenomenon to occur, certain atmospheric conditions must be present.  While the process can be intricate and complicated, the following circumstances are the fundamental foundations of snow formation.  First, the temperature in the clouds must be at or below the freezing point, and the temperature near the ground must be relatively close to freezing as well.  Additionally, there must be moisture in the air that will freeze at these cold temperatures, taking the shape of ice crystals.  After these ice crystals begin to merge and become heavier, they fall to the earth in the form of snow.  As we have discussed in class, the controversy surrounding global warming has provided scientists with an opportunity to predict the many effects of increased global temperatures.  Most experts believe that the impact of global warming on snow will be sporadic, depending on the specific region in question.  This topic interests me because I am originally from Southwest Virginia, and I am familiar with the weather patterns in this area.  It is fascinating to consider the implications that global warming may have on the winter weather in this area, but it seems that there is not enough factual evidence yet to provide a definitive answer to that question.

Sources:

Andrew, Elise. “Does Global Warming Mean More Or Less Snow?” IFLScience, IFLScience, 15 Aug. 2016, www.iflscience.com/environment/does-global-warming-mean-more-or-less-snow/.