The Science of a Cold Night

Wednesday night lows are expected to plummet to around -10°, but the question some people might be asking is why? In this case, a combination of clear skies and plenty of snow on the ground is to blame.

Clear Skies: With no cloud cover to act as insulation, any sort of warmth in the air will rise and escape up into the atmosphere, resulting in colder than normal temps.

Snowy Ground: At night, the ground releases a little bit of heat that has built up over the course of the day. This is also known as radiational cooling. A deep snowpack absorbs this heat release, preventing it from getting into the air. A snowpack that is fresh can lead to even colder overnight temperatures than an older, dirtier snowpack. -BA