Walking in a winter wonderland?

[Guy Profumo]

Listening to the radio last night -

Apparently, if the temperature drops to below - 10 °C, you can't make snowballs (and consequently snowmen) as the snow won't bind together being too dry

This is one of the reasons there's no history of the Inuit having built snowmen, despite their long association with the Arctic.

It also makes it difficult to ski/sledge, allegedly.

[ad hoc]

Walking in a winter wonderland?

I can confirm that dry snow is almost unsnowballable. You have to compress it a lot to make it work. But I'm not convinced that this is a function of temperature, merely of the ambient humidity (I mean I haven't read anything about it, but this is my own experience of living somewhere very cold but dry).

[Crusoe]

Walking in a winter wonderland?

ad hoc wrote: ...But I'm not convinced...

It is a bit counterInuituitive.

Back to work filling the crackers...

[Guy Profumo]

Walking in a winter wonderland?

ad hoc wrote: I can confirm that dry snow is almost unsnowballable. You have to compress it a lot to make it work. But I'm not convinced that this is a function of temperature, merely of the ambient humidity (I mean I haven't read anything about it, but this is my own experience of living somewhere very cold but dry).

apparently it's the humidity that's a factor - which is affected by the air temperature.

Wasn't really listening, as I was drifting in and out of sleep with the radio on - but it's something to do with the Germans having two words for snow, - "dry snow", and "wet snow".

And that there's a "snowman belt" around the world south of which it doesn't snow enough to be able to build snowmen, and north of which "it's too cold" - & that snowmen aren't a purely western european tradition.

[Ginger Yellow]

Walking in a winter wonderland?

This is one of the reasons there's no history of the Inuit having built snowmen, despite their long association with the Arctic.

There are other reasons? Do they bar representations of humans/animals? Was there a hated sect of snowman-making Inuit that was airbrushed from history?

[WOM]

Walking in a winter wonderland?

The inuit build Inukshuks to represent people. They're made of rock, and are (more) permanent.

This thread is fantastic, btw.

[pebblethefish]

Walking in a winter wonderland?

They've been banned since the mid 80's. Something to do with Aled Jones being seen as the devil by certain sects of the Inuit culture.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Walking in a winter wonderland?

Guy Potger wrote: Apparently, if the temperature drops to below - 10 °C, you can't make snowballs (and consequently snowmen)

Presumably you can still make snowwomen then?

[WOM]

Walking in a winter wonderland?

[Guy Profumo]

Walking in a winter wonderland?

WOM wrote: The inuit build Inukshuks to represent people. They're made of rock, and are (more) permanent.

This thread is fantastic, btw.

and a deterrent to the curmudgeons and misanthropes who kick down snow[strike]men[/strike]people.

[Guy Profumo]

Walking in a winter wonderland?

More importantly, why are days of the week and months proper nouns, and seasons not?

[Gangster Octopus]

Walking in a winter wonderland?

I was taught that they are.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Walking in a winter wonderland?

I wish I could find the photo TLMG took of me about 5 years ago, standing in the car park outside our old flat, beside a huge cock 'n' balls I'd thoughtfully drawn in the snow with my shoe. I looked so proud.

Oh well, I guess great art is temporary.

[WOM]

Walking in a winter wonderland?

Gangster Octopus wrote: I was taught that they are.

They were much more of a mystery back then. Like stars...and fire.

[Guy Profumo]

Walking in a winter wonderland?

Gangster Octopus wrote: I was taught that they are.

Yeah. I thought so too. But modern usage seems to be not to capitalize them.

So that made me doubt it.