Can It Be "Too Cold To Snow"?

[@notbobby125]

Central Antarctica is actually technically a desert because of how little "rainfall" it ever receives every year. However, the few times any clouds flow over the center and drops any snow at all, the snow never melts, so the ice sheet has just kept piling on top of itself for thousands upon thousands of years.

[@homosapienssapiens19]

Also, an inch of rain is something like ten inches of snow, so eight and a half feet of snow per year is still under the definition of a desert.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

it's a cold desert, opposite to a warm desert, and yes, it's actually a thing and Antarctica isn't the only one.

[@matthewloughran73]

I'm from Ireland which is generally quite a wet country, the driest I have ever experience was one winter when it was extra cold, there wasn't snow but any all dampness was frozen into a frost or ice.

[@maxcowley4353]

give us time, we'll heat it right up

[@MrWolf-xk8sl]

In fact it is a desert. It's the biggest in the world.

[@arooobine]

I live on Jupiter and I can confirm that it rarely ever snows here, but when it does, the snow heats it up to a balmy 21 °C. Last summer when Bush was president, it got so hot I had to move to my summer house a few hundred miles higher in the sky.

[@holderheck]

did you know before you wrote that, that jupiter was actually in summer last when bush was pres?

[@holderheck]

Benjamin Hershey just i should have specified summer relative to us,

[@bartisaron]

+ Flyingvoxel nolond Which part of the globe?

[@AlfaEcho]

Which height were U in To start with? I had No problems

[@aurelia8028]

The f*ck?

[@Shield_OW]

december 2020: starts youtube: yep, better recommend that one video about snow from 6 years ago

[@AM-du7si]

↑

[@asdunne]

Yup!

[@CrazyChiv]

You too, huh?

[@virtualabc7847]

Sa.e

[@Querez8504]

Oh. I didn't realize it was years old.

[@MichaelMoore99]

Anyone else watching the bits of snow repeatedly form/fall off of his eyelashes? :-D

[@jamieriggs7399]

+Michael Moore yep

[@floridmonkey2723]

I never saw it fall off. It looked like one big snow flake to me.

[@pkunkbwok]

yes that was driving me nuts

[@stevejobs5488]

pkunkbwok same. It was driving me insane.

[@eastermister1]

All I could watch

[@hnyii]

_"Aagh! It's down the back of my neck!"_ I felt that, despite never having experienced snow.

[@janpeternelj2309]

You're missing out.

[@WELLINGTON20]

hani being english I’ve felt it before

[@ZachariahMBaird]

@@patrickhannon4217 Come to Utah, we've got the greatest snow on Earth.

[@ehoc5248]

come to maine we have snow 9 months of the year

[@Pokemc0831]

I felt that and I have been in snow, it is the second worst place to have snow

[@richard-riku]

Living in Finland this is true. When it's -30deg C it hardly ever snows. Normally the temp will rise (eg -10 deg) and then it will snow but not at -30. Also at -30 the air is incredibly dry and you get static electric shocks when you don't normally get them. You cannot make a snowball at -30 deg either, the snow you scoop up does not stick together, it's too dry.

[@farmergiles1065]

I've been at -30C in Minnesota. You can make *a single* snowball with your bare hands, because the points of contact will melt and allow the rest to stick together enough. By the time you get your mittens back on, though, it will be an iceball with snow underneath, so ... not so fun to be throwing those around with someone. And you have to go indoors sooner. I once (as a child) piled the snow up into a hill with a shovel, then poured a few buckets of water on it. The next day, I carved out the center to make an igloo of sorts. Impenetrable to attack! What fun!

[@AnnandVirk]

I'm sorry, can you repeat yourself? I was distracted by the giant snowflake stuck to your eyelash.

[@mpoboy71]

That doesn't melt

[@klystron2010]

maybe it's maybelline

[@jsrodman]

If the temperature is very cold, say -40 (c or F is about the same), then being out in the cold can be bad for your health. After being exposed for a long time. Even at those temperatures talking for a few minutes isn't going to cause you any harm.

[@raxsavvage]

im glad this is top comment, was thinking the same, also thinking hes in front of a green screen for some reason

[@cerebrummaximus3762]

Same!!!

[@200ike]

He looks very pretty with white eyeshadow and eyeliner

[@nannal4539]

How long had you been waiting for it to snow for this one?

[@TomScottGo]

Nannal Abbott Saw the forecast this morning, and made sure I had a script ready!

[@nannal4539]

***** you're a hero, if you're ever in newark let me know and I'll get you a pint.

[@Markus9705]

***** Hehe, you don't wait too long!

[@justnoah2073]

@@TomScottGo don't lie, I know you can control the weather.

[@zaidlacksalastname4905]

@@justnoah2073 _its supposed to be a secret, the fbi are on their way_

[@RealLuckless]

2:09 - One of the reasons jackets in snowy regions tend to have hoods, and why one should put it up early. Thanks for the videos! You've done an excellent job with your channel content.

[@jeffirwin7862]

"It is very cold here right now there, and I am going back inside." -- British person exposed to the outdoors too long

[@stinkymart3173]

You gotta cover your extremities, you'll go cold a lot less quickly if you wear gloves, a scarf and a toque or trapper hat, partially cause they help seal your coat

[@charlesharper2357]

As a Canadian I can tell it's actually fairly warm...that's wet snow, which means that it's barely below freezing.

[@CineSoar]

Growing up where it was very cold (Northern Wisconsin) we put that saw the other way around. As in... "It's supposed to snow tomorrow." "Oh good! It will have to warm up, if it's going to snow."

[@shepd3]

I live in Canada and I can say for a fact that snow mostly happens around 5 to -5 Celsius. When it gets down to -20 Celsius or below you can pretty much guarantee you won't see snow. I think I might have seen it fall once at -25 Celsius. I don't think I'd say it's impossible. Just really, really unlikely.

[@markmayonnaise1163]

I live in Victoria. I miss snow :(

[@Dhendo7]

Minnesota USA?

[@lisbonmapping8425]

Victoria Australia?

[@markmayonnaise1163]

Victoria, BC

[@lisbonmapping8425]

XD

[@andyowens5494]

As ever, the complete answer from Tom. No but sort of yes. The world is not a simple place, so the complete answer is the only way to understand it. Well done mate.

[@dominicvilleneuve171]

I have rarely seen snow at -40 (living in northern Canada, that's a normal winter temperature for me), but when there is snow, it is a very different snow than what you get at -5, the flakes are very small and more similar to hail than snow.

[@holderheck]

I got a friend from Northern saska and he when he was working for Cp rail he had a day at -63 and it was snowing. I thought him mad till he showed pictures >.> the diesel truck he drove had a heater for the fuel tank, it used open flames.

[@holderheck]

James Laidler dude -63C thats -81F

[@nikitamalikov6683]

I'd like to say hello from the other side of the temperature gradient, speaking from Australia where it occasionally gets up to 40 degrees.

[@dydlus]

In the part of Poland where I live, temperature changes a lot throughout the year, often reaching below -15 degrees C in winter and above 35 degrees C in summer. I often see people from other countries one-upping each other with "Oh, the temperature in *your* country is [high/low]? Here it reaches [temperature clearly not beneficial to human life]" arguments, but I don't really see people complaining about temperature fluctuations, which is weird since if you live in the same extreme temperature you should get used to it, but in my case I cook in summer AND freeze in winter since I can't adapt.

[@jackpearce7034]

@@dydlus here in Ottawa Canada it can get to -40 in the summer and 35 C in the summer.

[@joools1953]

Where are your mittens, young man?

[@nerakin6679]

I love the really warm looking coat, and hoodie, and complete lack of gloves or mitts.

[@lewist7576]

junipa He doesn't need mittens; he's British!

[@safe-keeper1042]

British people apparently have this idea you're not supposed to protect yourself from cold because you're supposed to build up cold tolerance. Or maybe that's just how they raise their kids.

[@lucienruffell9117]

@@safe-keeper1042 I'm British, can confirm.

[@Anon.G]

People who are actually from cold places don't use mittens, they use gloves

[@NickRoman]

I've noticed that's definitely true about the clouds holding in the heat. The best thing during the colder seasons is for it to be sunny all day to heat up the ground, and then just as evening arrives, a thick cloud layer comes along. It will be much warmer that night and the next day if clouds remain than if it stays clear through the night.

[@ellaisplotting]

God, he's adorable.

[@eminenception]

👀

[@meetaverma8372]

Adorkable 🤔🤔

[@patricksanders858]

When you shrieked at the end with snow down your neck... I shivered and "felt" the snow too!

[@cherriberri8373]

"Aaahk! It's down the back of my neck!" That was so weirdly adorable, like a fox's noises

[@punya1621]

There was absolutely no reason for Tom to be there in such cold weather but he did, he loves his work way too much.

[@OGSinisterPotato]

2:09 - "Haaaa. Dibthabakathnek.. Ahh"

[@antonprott2617]

its down in the back of my nrck

[@an_on5252]

And here I am, starring at the little bit of snow on your eyelashes XD

[@VulcanTrekkie45]

Welcome to what winter is like in New England. Where there have been occasions when the air is so cold that almost all water vapour has condensed out, inducing a coughing fit if you inhale too quickly (yeah, air can be that dry).

[@rangedfighter]

I love the lively backgrounds in every one of the the videos, it's awesome and so authentic, always has to do with the topic in question and always seem to be like he just knows those things.

[@darkshoalproductions]

Super impressed with the sound. It sounds like you filmed this on a set.

[@ablanchi]

Eyelashhhhhhhh

[@wkpictures6641]

2:09 Tom you would make an incredible seagull

[@Lethgar_Smith]

As a native Floridian who has spent time living in Alaska, Maine, Massachusetts and Texas I can say that the optimal temperature for snow is 28° Fahrenheit or -2.2° Celsius. Of course, along with temperature you also need moisture so, 28° with "rainy" conditions and you get snow. In Florida where the temperature does fall below freezing, occasionally, we dont get snow because winter is our dry season. When it gets cold in Florida the air is extremely dry.

[@Salena905]

Nice to see an explanation made easy to understand, unlike some videos that go too much into scientific details etc and because of this I've subscribed as I'd like to learn about other things I had trouble with when younger. Thanks for this ☺️👍

[@mkrzeminski89]

love your icy eyelashes mate!

[@JoshLathamTutorials]

I read: Can It Be "Too Cold To Show"? Would've been a totally different video.

[@3evibez817]

+Josh Latham haha

[@Jay-et6zd]

Can It Be "Too Cold To Snow"? Yes we call it February where I'm from.

[@justnoah2073]

I can't believe Tom Scott controls the weather to make this video.

[@purplecoathanger]

When it snows: Me - ITS SNOWING ?! YAYY IMA BUILD A SNOWMAN AND SNOW ANGELS AND OTHER SNOW RELATED MINDLESS FUN Tom Scott - Well, best educate the internet on a fine point of meteorology

[@thewuurm]

For me it's, "oh shit, the roads are going to be pure ice and I hope I don't pull something in my back shovelling the driveway". Things are... different... when you live someplace with a consistently cold and snowy winter. :P

[@Falcrist]

thewuurm I've lived in Minnesota, and New York (upstate near Oswego and Syracuse). The novelty of snow wears off *really* quickly.

[@razielhamalakh9813]

When it snows: purplecoathanger - ITS SNOWING ?! YAYY IMA BUILD A SNOWMAN AND SNOW ANGELS AND OTHER SNOW RELATED MINDLESS FUN Me - Oh hey, it's October already.

[@AlkisGD]

I've lived the last 20 years of my life in two seaside, Greek cities. You can sometimes see snow covering the surrounding mountains, but it reaches the houses about twice a decade. When _that_ happens, I'm like: "Yay, snow! I'm gonna gather what precious little there is on top of cars and stuff and make a snowball or two. Yay!" >.>

[@Jeffers3094]

When it snows: ....... I wouldn't know what snow is like cuse Straya!!!

[@boggybolt6782]

I just don't understand how can someone not have a hat when it's snowing, or just cold. If my head is exposed to extreme cold temperatures(less than 0 C), my ears will freeze into a popsicle in a matter of minutes, if not seconds. i don't feel it, but when i touch them the'ye literally, ice cold.

[@FacnyCatFighter]

The snow hanging off his eyelash really distracted me when watching this video.

[@1bgood97]

Yes! Completely correct! This happens often, where I live, temperature often drops to about -20 F (-28 C) and it is considered "too cold to snow." We NEVER get snow when it is that cold! The best temperature for snow would be between 28 F and 30 F. Where it is fluffy and sticky! Good for snowmen and Skiing!

[@auxchar]

Here in Minnesota, you tend to see snow in the winter when shortly following when it warms up a little bit, and it's for the reasons you mention. When it warms up, there's a bit more humidity, and when it drops back down, it snows again. You tend to see a lot more snow at both ends of winter, but in the middle of winter, most of the time, it'll just be too dry to snow because of the cold.

[@KunamaElgar]

Tom Scott can't get any more attracti- 😱 Never mind, I take it back! 🤩

[@stellarfirefly]

It becomes less and less likely as the temperature drops more and more, but I'd imagine it never quite reaches zero chances at any location possible on Earth's surface. As indirect proof, I present Antarctica. :)

[@rlamacraft]

Antarctica is actually a desert - hence why ice cores going back millennia are possible. But yes, it does snow, however in frequently

[@dantebroggi3734]

Robert Lamacraft I do believe that scientists changed the definition of Antarctica to tundra, from desert.

[@RCassinello]

The driest point on earth are the Dry Valleys of Antarctica - no rain / snow for 14 million years!

[@aw8079]

Things you might not snow?

[@J-o-h-m]

Why does it sound like it was recorded in side

[@TomScottGo]

Jack S Not sure, but possible reasons: it's filmed on an iPhone 5s, which does some really clever noise-cancellation, against a wall that'll cause a bit of a dull echo -- and it's boosted in post, as most of my videos are!

[@J-o-h-m]

Thanks

[@kljukusa1]

***** "Fresh snow absorbs sound, lowering ambient noise over a landscape because the trapped air between snowflakes attenuates vibration." (Wikipedia) Not too much credit for Apple ;-)

[@spoonikle]

kljukusa1 I noticed everything sounds different on a snowy day/night... so thats the reason :/

[@Markus9705]

kljukusa1 Apple butthurt?

[@jannepeltonen2036]

You don't need clouds for it to snow, though, I've seen it sometimes. Basically you need good humidity conditions, very cold air, and condensation nuclei. It's kind of like mist, except it's ice needles, not tiny water droplets. "Jääneulanen" in Finnish, I guess the English term is "diamond dust". And yes, you could argue it's not actual snow :)

[@DeathBringerBecky]

could you find and link an image of what youre talking about? id like to see this but doubt ill find an example myself.

[@nubreed13]

It's a common thing in Seattle. When it gets below a certain temperature it's too low humidity to snow.

[@Hunter-we8ve]

The snow on his eyelashes is bothering me for some reason

[@Zhatt]

From what I remember, it can snow when there are no clouds in the sky. Technically it's not snow, but ice crystals can form in the sky if there is enough humidity. Via deposition the water in the air freeze directly to a solid. This is rare in most places except the arctic. Edit: I did some quick research. You'd need an unusual scenario where there are no nuclei (dust, etc) in the sky for formation of the small water droplets that make up a cloud. If the temperature drops the air becomes "supersaturated" where the relative humidity is over 100%. If the temperature drops below freezing and then nuclei are introduced, the water vapour will form directly into ice, skipping the water phase.

[@Markus9705]

True. Search on "supercooled water bottle trick" on Google. You'll be surprised!

[@unvergebeneid]

TheLeftLibertarianAtheist No, this is desublimation, not supercooling. Supercooled water is practically your run-of-the-mill snow, nothing special.

[@Markus9705]

Penny Lane I know, but that trick is about cooling liquid water below freezing point and then introduce a nuclei and then ice formation quickly begins.

[@unvergebeneid]

TheLeftLibertarianAtheist Uhm, sure. Supercooling. Still nothing to do with desublimation.

[@Markus9705]

Penny Lane "If the temperature drops below freezing and then nuclei are introduced, the water vapour will form directly into ice, skipping the water phase." Made my think of supercooled water, nothing more.

[@Christopher_Gibbons]

Actually under the right conditions, you can get snow out of a clear blue sky. This past winter on Long Island, New York; a combination of low tide and bright sunlight created high humidity. When very cold winds from the north swept through the temperature changed fast enough, that snow started falling a good ten minutes before visible clouds formed.

[@haugstule]

Tom you keep saying it's cold, but from those crystal lumps i can tell you the temperature was likely -3C. which is not that cold, try standing outside at -30C the ice crystals are tiny like white sugar grains, and sharp as knives. (in 20m/s wind)

[@SigEpBlue]

Come on over to the Great Lakes this coming winter, Tom. You'll quickly learn what "lake effect" means, and perhaps why it snows _more_ when it's colder here.

[@mal2751]

Brilliant video, as always. keep em coming Tom.

[@aprimic]

Where were you? What country? Can't be England with that snow.

[@aprimic]

Oh Nottinghamshire. Nice, no snow at London.

[@mahoihei]

Loughborough just started to snow few hours ago

[@blenderpanzi]

Yeah, the first snow this season here in the part of Austria where I live was just falling. Up until now it was pretty warm and rainy.

[@iDEaXANA]

Look at the bloody weather

[@JoelGalilee]

Here in York we haven't had any yet, nearest is Knaresborough, but there's been a lot of snow across Wales' highlands and the Midlands, into the southeast towards the night, that's what I heard.

[@pikariocraftf2802]

Something something dropping video quality because particles- That video seemingly got a lot of people binge watching these during quarantine

[@FirefoxisredExplorerisblueGoog]

I've found this year's first snow to be quite troublesome. Last Tuesday the temperature was a comfy 11C°.. at midnight. The warm ground melts the bottom layer of snow which in turn is covered by a fresh layer of snow. I had to hold on for my life when I was walking down a staircase with my bike after crossing a bridge; the damn thing turned into a slip 'n slide overnight.

[@huwfylt]

this is why ~40°f/5°c feels so cold, because its cold and damp. But once it gets below ~20°f/-5°c it feels tolerable again; its cold, but its a dry cold.

[@michaelablank]

In the Southeastern US, the coldest air is coming straight from up north and will have dumped its snow before it gets to us. We get snow from air that has dipped down to the gulf and picked up moisture then hits an existing cold air mass.

[@LimeGreenTeknii]

I've never heard the expression "Too cold to snow." However, I'm from the south, so you're probably more likely to just hear "It was so cold, it COULD snow!"

[@LimeGreenTeknii]

Southern United States

[@LimeGreenTeknii]

MrSplodgeySplodge Southern United States

[@franchufranchu119]

@@LimeGreenTeknii hah i won, I'm more southern than you

[@lyndseyweeks5752]

Seeing the the snow on Tom’s eyelashes is making my eyes water!!!!!!

[@FollowTheLion01]

That looked like pretty wet snow. I'd guess that you were in single digit negatives, probably 0 to -5. I'm not sure I would call that 'very cold,' but then I live in Canada.

[@HydetheRapper]

Growing up in northwest Montana, that old piece of (flawed) wisdom could be seen everywhere. The coldest nights were always the clearest, and it never snowed when it was 20 below. We may not have gotten the cause right scientifically, but generations-worth of knowledge frequently flows through those simple sayings.

[@ieuanhunt552]

The coldest place in the world is the south pole. Which is also the biggest desert in the world. And it it is too dry to snow

[@frostchain2362]

Yeah, you've basically got ice there that hasn't melted in hundreds or thousands of years.

[@simonlinser8286]

so it has to do with a delicate balance between the amount of energy (and therefore vapor) that the air can suck from the land, hence why it gets quieter when it snowed at night, in the dead of night hours before sunrise, it gets very quiet before it snows. because it's the right temperature, but also the air isn't too dry either. because the plants and the ground and everything else were still giving up their moisture to the air and it feels cold because water holds all the energy when the water evaporates there's no more energy left, and it feels way colder than it really is, but for anyone who enjoys and spent time in snow, at that moment in the middle of the night when it begins to snow, it's not actually all that cold. the coldest moments are when you can tell the air is bone dry not a single bit of water in the air. that's when cold gets painful, and your skin starts getting dried, etc etc. but my favorite thing is how cold affects sound, and that it's literally the lack of energy=reduced thermal noise that makes sound more crisp when it's cold enough. the snow just intensifies that effect because it absorbs sound waves due to it being soft and fluffy. i think cold weather creates some of the best conditions for observing physical phenomena.

[@mattb4721]

I am not sure how this works in other places, but I have been told that there is some correlation here in Central Europe, as the really cold air comes from the east, i. e. from the "dry" Russian landmass; whereas the air that would be moist enough for snow comes from the Atlantic in the west - which is often too warm for snow, so we will get rain.

[@jholotanbest2688]

Everyone knows that when it is really cold it almost never snows.

[@kennethgarland4712]

In Britain (certainly in the South), we would suspect soon-to-be-falling snow when it suddenly seems less cold after a period of particularly cold weather I'm no meteorologist, but I've often thought that this was because a 'warm' front was coming, bringing precipitation, and then the moisture in the front's air hits the cold air already there and it freezes and turns to snow. Can anyone with appropriate expertise confirm this theory?

[@patchouli_s75]

It was snowing last night and it's just October. Southern Finland is a really weird place. Oh, and it all almost melted.

[@parker9012]

At my house it sometimes gets down into the -55 F or -48 C. The water just comes out of the air as ice fog, so it can't snow because at that temperature there's no water left in the air. If I understand it correctly

[@randem_6503]

Video is blurry because too many randomly moving particles *Damn KZbin compression!*

[@DarkSyster]

I live in Canada. During the winter, it's easy. Look out the window, if it's bright, sunny, and if there are any clouds, they're the high altitude cirrus clouds, little wisps of ice crystals flying higher than most aircraft. This is TOO COLD TO SNOW! It's also too cold for mere ordinary mortal humans. So in the winter, a bright sunny cloudless day is something to dread. A cloudy day on the other hand means its near freezing, much warmer, but at risk of snow, sleet, or freezing rain.

[@syystomu]

Living in Northern Europe I can definitely see where the impression comes because I remember so, so, so many freezing-my-nose-off days that were absolutely clear but I can't remember many (if any) snowy days that were as cold. Unless it was really windy of course but that's another story. It's cool to know the reason. I never realised that clouds would trap heat although of course it seems logical when you think about it... but then again they also cover the sun... but then sun shines for a shorter time in winter so maybe keeping the heat we have is actually more important? Idk, I'm not a natural scientist. Also those kind of big heavy snowflakes always give the impression that it can't be very cold. Of course my idea of very cold is probably different from yours.

[@msamour]

Here the snow doesn't appear to fall below -25 C. I live near Ottawa. I have a discussion with someone who lived in Siberia, and they experienced snow as low as -35. I'm guessing it depends on the geographic location and the elevation etc...

[@aaronl19]

Where I live, for a few days it can get as low as 30°C in summer. Just for a few days though.

[@cbremer83]

Those of us in the northern states not affected by lake effect snow are very aware of this. A really cold winter here in MN will see far less snow at -15 / -20F compared to a warmer 10-30F winter. The only snow you see when it is really cold is when a warm system pushes from the mountains out west or up from the gulf. This year they are saying it will be warm and snowy. Guess we will see.

[@ParaditeRs]

Coldest I've ever dealt with was the day after Christmas a few years ago in Fargo, North Dakota.A daily record of -36C (-33F) without windchill outside. Needless to say, I didn't bother going out that particular day, I didn't feel like having my eyeballs freeze in place. I don't recall if it snowed that day, although in Fargo, the snow wouldn't melt until June, at which point the red river often flooded certain parts of the city lol

[@hellicars]

The only thing I've ever dealt with in Fargo was a gangster Steve Buscemi

[@connorconnor2421]

2:10 What anyone says complex equations sound like:

[@C12DDK]

It can never be to cold to snow... It's more about humidity etc. look at the poles, they are like -50° and it snows there.

[@Nulono]

The mention of cryogenic temperatures reminded me of the short story "A Pail of Air" by Fritz Leiber, where Earth becomes a rogue planet and the atmosphere freezes and falls to the ground as snow.

[@scotttaylor7146]

In the Great Lakes region of the US, snowfall is largely related to how much ice cover there is over the lakes. The colder the winter, the more lake ice, and the less liquid surface area there is to put water in the air, therefore less snow.

[@vkoskiv]

No red T-shirt? :(

[@stephaniecolbourne5297]

New Saying: "It's Too Cold For Tom!"

[@topilinkala1594]

Except of hail all rain starts as snow. Sometimes the lower athmosphere is so warm that the flakes thaw and fall down as rain. Hail on the other hand is not a flake it is round and goes up and down in the colums of air currents in the cloud getting heavier and hevier when at last it is too heavy to the upwellings and falls down and usually does not thaw in the lower part of the athmosphere.

[@MarinelliBrosPodcast]

As a Canadian, I approve of this video.

[@weatherdynamics]

As long as there is enough atmospheric lift, it can snow, no matter how cold it is. Especially if there is good moisture advection in the cloud layer.

[@eoghan.5003]

Tom saw it was snowing, leapt up, and ran out the back to record an educational video

[@SVD978]

This video must have been recorded in the past hour or so lol

[@TomScottGo]

***** A couple of hours: we've had another inch of snow since then. I'm home with my folks for Christmas; Nottinghamshire is pretty much in the middle of the small band of snow we've had!

[@rjfaber1991]

***** I thought you were still in the US when I just watched this. Looking at the weather here in the Netherlands it's difficult to believe it would be snowing on the other side of the North Sea, hence my confusion... I do hope we get a bit of snow as well though...

[@SVD978]

***** It would seem that way, haha. If you're ever in the city of Nottingham I'll buy you a pint!

[@reececrump8483]

tom what did u do with ur hair u look smexy in this vidjo

[@Altoclarinets]

Smexy? What year is it, 2004?

[@sudhajurg]

had anybody been in the Swiss Alps at 14'000 feet, in winter - now that's winter - there would be no question about 'too cold to snow' - the answer is a def YES. In tepid lowland, the ground never freezes but about 1 meter below the surface which allows for 'warming up' of the air near the ground. To cold to snow in those regions would sound impossible.

[@DarksideChaotix]

The answer is yes. When you live in Canada you see, particularly in the western part...

[@MrTohawk]

Please don't kill me but: do you wanna build a snowman?

[@noavanderhoorn2996]

'Titan or some other planet' No Tom, titan is a moon of the planet saturn, not a planet.

[@victort.4798]

Rather than "it's too cold to snow", it should be "it's too snowy to be cold". If you have clouds, it won't be as cold as if they weren't there. So it's not that a temperature is too cold for snow, it's that that temperature becomes less likely to be recorded if it is snowing

[@dunzerkug]

Northern Midwest gets too cold to snow in winter when the average temps are around 0 F. It'll snow in Fall then never get warm enough to melt the snow during the Winter so it just stays on the ground until Spring when it snows again but also gets warm enough to melt it.

[@danmack3173]

Yes. Sincerely, a Canadian

[@EvilCheese555]

I live in Wyoming, and it's common knowledge here that it can get too cold to snow. Happens all the time.

[@nitehawk86]

We also learned that it can be Too Cold for Tom.

[@tchevrier]

It is very true though. There's far more snow south of us in the US where the winter temperature is a bit warmer. Typically it snows when the temperatures are between zero and minus 20C. Anything colder it rarely snows. That said, because the colder air is drier it doesn't feel nearly as cold.

[@richyjjsmith]

I'm from Ireland, and I've heard this saying here, as I'm sure Tom has being British, However I have spent time in winters in other countries where the temperature was as low as -30, and if it can snow in that, I'm pretty sure since the end of the ice age it's never been too cold to snow in the UK or Ireland.

[@justinfowich6662]

Here in Chicago, the coldest day of the year is also usually one of the sunniest days of the year, for this very reason.

[@Desteny6]

The only thing I could think about while watching was: Is there a red t-shirt under that jacket? :o I NEED to know!

[@DarKnightofCydonia]

That explains why whenever it got to -40 degrees in Montréal it was always a perfect blue sky day outside.