Solar radiation from strong March sunlight has caused snow to melt every afternoon this week, despite cold temperatures. But very little snow has melted. Obviously, warmer weather will help to melt snow faster. Interestingly, the best weather for quickly melting snow might not be what you think. A warm, sunny day is not always a great eater of snow cover.
Snow melts fastest when the humidity is very high. When the air is laden with water vapor, the water vapor molecules in close proximity to the snowpack are rapidly condensing due to the chilly snow. The process of condensation releases seven times more heat energy than it takes to melt the same amount of snow. So the net effect is a tremendous thawing rate on cloudy, foggy, mild days when the air temperature and dew point are around 35-40 degrees.
