How ice forms

Steveo · 02-09-2010, 02:38 PM

Ok, I'm bored but I was also curious...What effect does no snow have on the ice. I was always under the believe that snow covered ice is more insulated so it doesn't get as thick as no snow. But I read somewhere here that clear ice allows the sunlight through and heats up the water under the ice thus melting it.

I need to know because it has an effect on my Ice Out guess

Slickcraft · 02-09-2010, 03:22 PM

Both may be true: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/ice_out/i...escription.htm

However, it may or may not snow soon. There may or may not be a lot of sun in the next six weeks.
As Yogi said "Prediction is very hard, especially about the future".

SteveA · 02-09-2010, 06:37 PM

Makes me laugh every time

fatlazyless · 02-11-2010, 07:03 AM

Ice is much sturdier at 10-degree temp than at 30-degree temp. It obviously will crystalize into ice at 32-degrees but seems to have much greater strength, hardness, & elasticity as it cools down from 30 to 10-degrees. It's definately much tougher to chop at ten degrees, requiring a 2-lb mason's hammer to pound on an ice-chopper to break up lake ice around the dock.

Maybe for the same reason, making ski area snow with compressed air and water works a lot better at ten degrees than at 30.

02-09-2010, 02:38 PM	#1
Steveo Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 524 Thanks: 47 Thanked 123 Times in 63 Posts	How ice forms Ok, I'm bored but I was also curious...What effect does no snow have on the ice. I was always under the believe that snow covered ice is more insulated so it doesn't get as thick as no snow. But I read somewhere here that clear ice allows the sunlight through and heats up the water under the ice thus melting it. I need to know because it has an effect on my Ice Out guess

02-09-2010, 06:37 PM	#3
SteveA Deceased Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Gilford, NH Posts: 2,311 Thanks: 1,070 Thanked 2,054 Times in 497 Posts	Yogi is the best.. Makes me laugh every time __________________ "Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, if he gets angry he'll be a mile away and barefoot!" unknown

02-11-2010, 07:03 AM	#4
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,740 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 300 Thanked 1,007 Times in 735 Posts	Ice is much sturdier at 10-degree temp than at 30-degree temp. It obviously will crystalize into ice at 32-degrees but seems to have much greater strength, hardness, & elasticity as it cools down from 30 to 10-degrees. It's definately much tougher to chop at ten degrees, requiring a 2-lb mason's hammer to pound on an ice-chopper to break up lake ice around the dock. Maybe for the same reason, making ski area snow with compressed air and water works a lot better at ten degrees than at 30. __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake!

02-09-2010, 03:22 PM	#2
Slickcraft Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Welch Island and The Taylor Community Posts: 3,296 Thanks: 1,222 Thanked 2,080 Times in 952 Posts	Both may be true: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/ice_out/i...escription.htm However, it may or may not snow soon. There may or may not be a lot of sun in the next six weeks. As Yogi said "Prediction is very hard, especially about the future".

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Slickcraft For This Useful Post:
LIforrelaxin (02-11-2010), SteveA (02-09-2010)