Synthesis Essay Snow

According to Richard Wild, the first use of the word ‘blizzard’, to define a set of weather conditions, was used in 1860 to describe a mid-west weather event in which “warm and balmy” condition suddenly took a turn for the cold. The result: freezing temperatures, heavy snowfall and massive drifts of snow (1996, web). A blizzard is the most severe of all types of snowfall. Its effects exceed those of heavy snow warnings, flurries, blowing and drifting snow and traveler’s warnings. Blizzards are caused through a confluence of cold-air, moisture and lift (which is necessary to raise the cold air and form it into clouds which produce precipitation) (Weather Almanac, 2004, p. 81). In the case of a blizzard warning,

On a cold December morning snow blanketed the ground while a frozen mist masked the trees. Only the very tops could be seen. I stepped outside and inhaled the clean, crisp Texas air. Still half asleep, I walked to the truck feeling the soft powder compact beneath my boots and the snowflakes melt as they hit my skin. It was the time of year that I had been longing for.

Rain is measured by the amount of liquid contained in the measurement device. Whatever is amount of liquid is in the device, is the measurement. However snow, has various factors that can impact its measurement. First of all snowfall measurement is based on how much liquid there would be if the snow was melted into liquid form. There are several factors that can impact how much snow is measured in a device. Wind can move snow from high points to low points and vice versa. The surface on which the snow is falling onto can also impact a measurement. The length of time the snow has been on the ground and how compact it is can also effect measurements. Measuring in several places and then using an average can give a more accurate total. Meteorologists usually forecast snow amounts giving a range of totals due to these factors which make it challenging to give an exact forecast.

Now he mentions the effect of the winds uneven distribution of force on the snow.

The places you will be riding can have a big impact on how the ride will go. A day snowboarding in the Midwest can be really hit or miss depending on location. In the Midwest, there is not very much snow that falls naturally. This forces resorts to make their own man-made snow. This snow tends to be a bit harder and more like small ice balls rather than really powdery snow. Being in the midwest there is also frequent climate changes. This can make the temperatures change rapidly and can make the snow melt and refreeze, or become very hard just overnight.

When people are on winter break, most want to go out and play in the snow, but who knew that the snow could be one's worst nightmare when stubbornness comes into play. Most people go out on an enjoyable snow-white day to sled down snowy hills and fling semi-hard snowballs at each other. No one would think that maybe sledding down the snowy hills could be so dangerous when they are having fun, and trying to show off. I certainly did not think that it was dangerous, but boy was I so wrong. Normally being a Los Angeles girl, going up to Big Bear is such an amazing experience, because down in the Los Angeles region it does not snow at all. However, I was not ready to face what was slowly going to change me in the mountains of California.

She see snow for the first time. Since Yolanda comes from the Dominican Republic she has never actually seen snow because it is too hot there for snow to fall. Around the time she sees the snow she is learning about the Cuban missile crisis. “I saw the dots in the air like the ones Sister Zoe had drawn-random at first, then lots and lots. I shrieked ‘Bomb! Bomb!’ Sister Zoe jerked around, her full black skirt ballooning as she hurried to my side. A few girls began to cry. But the Sister Zoe’s shocked look faded. ‘Why Yolanda dear, that’s snow!’ She laughed ‘Snow.’” (Alvarez 163). Yolanda has never seen snow before so she is scared because she thinks it is a nuclear fallout, but after Sister Zoe reassures her that the snow is only snow not a fallout she feels better. The idea of the snow falling is an uneasy feeling for Yolanda. Then snow represents the unknown and the scary events Yolanda and her family will have to experience in America. “Each flake was different, Sister Zoe had said, like a person, irreplaceable and beautiful.” (Alvarez 163). Sister Zoe says all snowflakes are different just like people. Throughout the book a recurring theme has been that Yolanda is having a hard time finding her identity. The snow in this case represents Yolanda and how she has the ability to be whatever she wants and how she can follow so many different paths now that she is in America. “A symbol differs

It’s a blizzard! Snow falls in an excerpt from Roger Ascham’s book Toxophilus. Toxophilus was written in 1545, and was the first book ever written about archery in the English language. The author, Roger Ascham, was an English scholar and a private tutor for Queen Elizabeth I. In this excerpt from his book, he talks about how the winds unpredictably blow the snow, and how it further affects the sport of archery. He states “I learned perfectly that it is no marvel at all though men in a wind lose their strength in shooting, seeing so many ways the wind is so variable in blowing (Ascham 35-37). Ascham goes into comprehensive detail when describing the sights of the snow— a noticeable pattern in this excerpt. Because of that, his purpose

Weather in Montana can be very unpredictable at times. Snow comes early, and stays late. Our team will work in proactive means to prevent delays to the schedule. As we near winter months, we will also account for longer lead times to receive materials so we are not delayed from deliveries, only installation deliveries with unexpected weather.

As a fifth grader living in Houston, it was surely an exciting day. However, I came to expect the same thing to happen every year, or more often at least. Years passed by and no snow has fallen since that day, but why? Even though snow is highly unlikely in Houston, it still made me wonder about the reasons if its unlikeliness.

One aspect of the whole snow making process that people are overlooking is the moral correctness. The unnatural snow created by the snow machines will change the mountain in an unnatural way. By artificially adding reclaimed water to the mountain, the resort disturbs the natural environment, which will inevitably change the terrain of the mountain. Instead we need to learn to accept the natural conditions provided to us, and stop interfering with our fragile environment.

The snow hadn't let up in days, and it showed no sign of letting up anytime soon. Arthur Kirkland,

I love when it snows because it shows that winter is here and a chance of no school. But, I also don’t like when it snows because it’s so cold. So I don’t love snow with a burning passion and I also don’t despise it, I’m somewhere in between and I’m sure many other people are too. A weird weather phenomenon that could occur in our area is a tsunami while its snowing.

Weather is described quite a bit in the novel, it sticks out because there isn’t many other descriptions. Weather can set a tone and attitude of a piece. Weather can be either a positive or negative thing. Snow is one type of specific weather used to enhance Steinbeck’s purpose. Snow represents oppression and loneliness in the book.

Sun and light rain can also produce thin surface crusts, which make it difficult for new snow to bond securely. Rain weakens the bonds in the snow and increases its mass. But when rain freezes, it can strengthen and bind the snow. Hoarfrost's, which are flat frozen crystals, can also form on the surface of the snow in extremely cold weather, creating a slippery layer when covered by new snow (Baugher).