Maritime snowmelt may not happen until May, says Kalin Mitchell

Here's a question I've been asked over the past couple of weeks: how long will it take for the snow to melt?

There is no simple answer to this because snowmelt is a complex process that depends on incoming solar radiation, wind speed, precipitation, the albedo of the snow, density, humidity, terrain and other factors.

There is, however, a "simplified method" known as the degree day method for snowmelt. The degree day method approximates the melt of snow per day in mm as a function of a melt coefficient — which ranges from 1.6 to 6.0 but is generally taken as 2.74 — multiplied by the average air temperature per day minus a base temperature which is typically taken as zero.

In other words, it's complicated.

Using that method and reported snow on the ground — not snowbanks — from several weather stations in the Maritimes for March 31, I've calculated how long it would take for that snow to completely melt away.

Obviously there are some deficiencies in this method. It doesn't take into account above or below normal temperatures or any kind of precipitation — whether it be snow or especially rain — which dramatically increases the rate of melt.

In reality, the method should only be used in the short term and for clear weather days. This is just for fun, to discuss how complex snowmelt modelling is.