DIRTY SNOW ?

“Why is the snow so dirty” 

The short answer.  Air pollution with high levels of dust and dark particles.

The science:

Electrically charged snow particle attack pollutants in the atmosphere.  Soot, fossil fuels, coal, industrial dust and, yes greenhouse gas emissions all can be found stored in the snow pack.  A new large-scale survey shows that agricultural practices, not just smokestacks and tailpipes, also have a big impact on its purity.   

As our new climate takes shape, we can expect increased darkening of the snow in spring.  We can also surmise that darker snow melts faster due to radiation absorption.

PINK SNOW:  You may have also noticed the pink snow starting to emerge on south facing slopes.   This is cause by a species of snow algae / Green algae. A cryophilic (cold-loving) fresh water algae that thrives in freezing water.  

Science is cool.

jm