With our rain to snow calculator you can calculate the expected rain to snow ratio based on the outside temperature. You may be thinking why should I know the rain to snow ratio?
Have you ever looked around and wondered how much snow would have fallen instead of all this rain if it had been colder?
This tool can also inform you if you should take an umbrella 🌂 or if you need your warm coat in case it snows? How many times have you asked yourself before you leave the house?
This rain to snow calculator will answer all your questions - whether you're researching a school project or just happened to have a thought on a rainy day about how to turn inches of rain into snow.
rain to snow ratio
The ratio of rain to snow or snow to rain depends on certain factors:
- Temperature;
- Humidity;
- precipitation;
- Windchill; and
- Atmospheric buoyancy.
Most weather services say the amount of snow is ten times that on averagerainfall, that is, 1 inch of rain equals 10 inches of snowfall.
If the snow is dense and the molecules are tightly packed, the ratio is 1:8. This ratio is not only temperature dependent but also requires a certain amount of wind chill. If the nature of the snow is fluffy and powdery ❄️ then the ratio can be between 1:20 and 1:50 depending on the temperature.
Our Rain Snow Calculator takes the rainfall in inches as input and calculates the amount of snow in inches you could expect based on that rainfall. Also, our rain-to-snow conversion is temperature dependent, so you should choose the most appropriate range. For this reason, you may not see that our calculator uses the 1:8 rain-to-snow ratio, as this requires some wind chill, which unfortunately isn't accounted for in this rain-to-snow conversion.
The formula created for the rain to snow conversion is given below:
snow = rain × SC
Wo,
- "SC" - Snow Coefficient, a numerical value based on atmospheric temperature.
All you have to do is know the temperature of your area, find the corresponding snow coefficient and multiply it by the amount of rain in inches. The result is the amount of snow in inches.
The conversion from rain to snow is explained in detail in the next section.
Conversion of rain into snow
The most important factor influencing the conversion of rain into snow isTemperature. The amount of snow thatan inch of rainproduced at different temperatures is given in the table below. This will give you a better understanding of how the rain to snow calculator works and how you can convert any number of inches of snow to rain or rain to snow.
Temperature (°F) | Temperature (°C) | snow (inches) |
|---|---|---|
34 to 45 degrees F | 1 to 7°C | 0,1 |
27 to 34 degrees F | -3 to 1°C | 10 |
20 to 27 degrees F | -6 to -3°C | fifteen |
15 to 19 degrees F | -9 to -7°C | 20 |
10 to 14 degrees F | -12 to -10°C | 30 |
0 to 9°F | -18 to -13°C | 40 |
-20 to -1°F | -29 to -18ºC | 50 |
< -20 °F | <-29 °C | 100 |
We know that for rain to turn into snow, the temperature must be at or below freezing. Using the table above, you can convert rain to snow or snow to rain 🖐️ with the click of a button.
If you've come across a situation where you can't use the Rain Snow Calculator, or maybe you want to teach someone how to use it and how to find the calculations, you need to follow these instructions:
- inches of rain to snow
Suppose you need to calculate the amount of snowfall for 4 inches of rain at 3°F, so multiply 4 by 40, which is the snow coefficient for temperatures between 0 and 9°F. Your answer is 160 inches.
Bei 3 °F entsprechen 4 Zoll Regen also 160 Zoll Schnee.
- inches of snow to rain
If, like us, you're wondering how much water you could get out of a bucket of snow, all you need to do is do a few simple calculations in the same way we did to calculate inches of rain to snow.
For example, for 12 inches of snowfall at a temperature of 16°F, all you have to do is divide the amount of snow in inches by the snow coefficient, which in this case is 20. The result is 0.6 inches of rain.
Whether you need to calculate inches of rain to snow or inches of snow to rain, the actual rain-to-snow ratio remains the same. The only thing that changes is that you either multiply the rain and snow coefficients or divide by each other.
Will it rain or snow today?
Checking the weather forecast near Christmas 🎄 can be stressful as so many people are concerned about the weather on Christmas Day. Many people ask: "Mom, will it rain or snow today?", "Will we have a white Christmas?" or "Will I be able to build an even bigger snowman than last year?".
Turning rain into snow is more than a matter of mere calculations. It also helps with precipitation forecasts.
If the air temperature is above freezing or is forecast to be above freezing then it is likely to rain, but when the temperature is expected to be below freezing then snowfall can be forecast.
Would you like to immerse yourself in the cool mood of winter? Want to discover even more science?
We've got you covered!
Try thosewhite christmas calculatoror theFreezing point depression calculator. 🎄
At what temperature does rain turn into snow?
If you think about it carefully, rain doesn't turn into snow. Both are different forms of precipitation that require different circumstances for their formation, and if the rain were to freeze, it would become ice rather than snow.
When we ask at what temperature does rain turn into snow, do we actually mean how cold our air temperature must be for the snowflake falling from the sky to hold its shape and reach the ground? Because in certain cases the air temperature at the clouds is cold enough to produce snow, but as it moves to the ground, where the temperature is comparatively higher, it melts and reaches us in the form of rain.
How many centimeters of snow correspond to one centimeter of rain?
After enjoying a game in the snow, building an adorable snowman ☃️, skiing down a slope and throwing snowballs at each other, you might be looking around and wondering, wow, if I collected all this snow and melted it, how much water would there be the existence? To find the amount of water in the snow, you essentially have to follow the same process as for the rain-to-snow conversion. So you can follow the steps explained in the Rain to Snow Conversion section or if you are in a hurry use our Rain to Snow Calculator, enter any amount of rain, select the temperature and you have your answer.
The purpose of calculating the number of inches of snow to rain is also helpful in determining the amount of water that will eventually be returned to our natural water reservoirs such as lakes and ponds in the area.
hungry for knowledge?Check out ourspond calculatorto learn something new!
FAQ
At what temperature does rain turn into snow?
Rain turns to snow at around 27 - 32°F. The air temperature must be at or below freezing.
How many centimeters of snow correspond to one centimeter of rain?
Ignoring other factors, one inch of snow equals roughly 10-12 inches of snow. So the rain to snow ratio would be written as 1:10 or 1:12.
This ratio can vary from 2-3 inches of solid/hard ice like snow to 40-50 inches of dry powder depending on weather conditions.
Will it rain or snow today?
If you're one of those people who stands by the window almost every day in December and wonders, "Will it rain or snow today?" then all you need to know is the temperature in your area.
When the temperature is above freezing, it may rain, and when the temperature is below freezing, it is more likely to snow.