Otherwise, snow typically melts seasonally, causing runoff into streams and rivers and recharging groundwater The first snow of the season struck the midwest this weekend, and more snow is on the way for the north in the next few days while freeze warnings hit the south. Snow, the solid form of water that crystallizes in the atmosphere and, falling to the earth, covers, permanently or temporarily, about 23 percent of the earth’s surface. Snow is precipitation that forms when water vapor freezes Snow falls as ice crystals from clouds when temperatures drop below freezing and there is enough humidity in the air. Snowfall patterns are shifting as the climate warms, with many regions already seeing declines
These shifts impact water supply, ecosystems, winter recreation and hydropower generation
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