How Long Will The Snow Stick? - Bedtime Math

Skip to contentHow Long Can Snow Last?

We love it when lots of snow falls and we get a day off from school. Then we can go sledding, build snowmen, etc. — until it melts away. So how long does that take? Well,the freezing point is 32 degrees F, so air warmer than that will melt it. In 40-degree weather we lose half an inch of snow per day. 50-degree weather melts 2 to 4 inches a day! So grab your sled while you can.

Wee ones: A snowflake has 6 sides. Can you hold up 6 fingers?

Little kids: If there are 3 inches of snow on the ground and 1 inch melts today, how many inches are left tonight?  Bonus: If it snows 1 inch each hour from 2:00 in the morning until 6:00 in the morning, how many inches of snow did you get?

Big kids: If there are 10 inches of snow on the ground, how many more inches of snow need to fall for it to reach the top of your head?  Bonus: If that snow melts away 2 inches every day, how many days until it’s all gone?

Answers:

Wee ones: Count to make sure you have 6 fingers up: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Little kids: 2 inches.  Bonus: 4 inches, since it snows for 4 hours.

Big kids: Different for everyone…find your height in inches, and subtract 10.  Bonus: Again, different for everyone: take your height in inches of snow, and divide by 2 to find how many 2s need to melt away.

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