A snowdrift is a deposit of
snow
Snow consists of individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes.
It consists of frozen crystalline water througho ...
sculpted by wind into a mound during a
snowstorm
A winter storm (also known as snow storm) is an event in which wind coincides with varieties of precipitation that only occur at freezing temperatures, such as snow, Rain and snow mixed, mixed snow and rain, or freezing rain. In Continental cl ...
. Snowdrifts resemble
sand dune
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...
s and are formed in a similar manner, namely, by wind moving light snow and depositing it when the wind has virtually stopped, usually against a stationary object. Snow normally crests and slopes off toward the surface on the windward side of a large object. On the leeward side, areas near the object are a bit lower than surrounding areas but are generally flatter.
The impact of snowdrifts on transportation can be more significant than the snowfall itself, such as in the US during the
Great Blizzard of 1978. Snowdrifts are usually found at or on roads, as the crest of the roadbed or the
furrows along the road create the disruption to the wind needed to shed its carried snow.
Snow fence
A snow fence, similar to a sand fence, is a barrier that forces windblown, drifting snow to accumulate in a desired place. Snow fences are employed primarily to minimize the amount of snowdrift on roadways and railways. Farmers and ranchers u ...
s may be employed on the windward side of the road to intentionally create a drift before the snow-laden wind reaches the road.
Photo gallery
File:Long Mynd snowdrift.jpeg, Snowdrift on the Long Mynd
The Long Mynd is a heath and moorland plateau that forms part of the Shropshire Hills in Shropshire, England. The high ground, which is common land and designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, lies between the Stiperstones range t ...
, Shropshire
Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...
, England, United Kingdom
File:Tall_Snow_Drift_in_Kenosha,_Wisconsin.jpg, A snowdrift blocks a car in Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States
See also
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Blizzard
A blizzard is a severe Winter storm, snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds and low visibility, lasting for a prolonged period of time—typically at least three or four hours. A ground blizzard is a weather condition where snow th ...
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Lake-effect snow
Lake-effect snow is produced during cooler atmospheric conditions when a cold air mass moves across long expanses of warmer lake water. The lower layer of air, heated by the lake water, picks up water vapor from the lake and rises through colde ...
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Big Drift
The Big Drift is in Glacier National Park (U.S.), Glacier National Park, in the U.S. state of Montana and is an area along the Going-to-the-Sun Road where a large amount of winter snow can Snowdrift, accumulate to depths of . Located immediately e ...
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Snow removal
Snow removal or snow clearing is the job of removing snow after a snowfall to make travel easier and safer. This is done both by individual households and by governments institutions, and commercial businesses.
De-icing and anti-icing
De-icin ...
References
External links
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Snowdrift Exhibitat
Evansville Museum
{{Commonscat, Snowdrifts
Snow or ice weather phenomena
Aeolian landforms