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What a great question!
When you look at a field or neighborhood covered in snow, you are looking at millions upon millions of tiny, individual snowflakes, or frozen water crystals. These crystals are not packed tightly together, there is some “wiggle space” between them made up of air. The amount of “wiggle room” leads to something called the “snow ratio,” which is 10:1 snow to water. This means that if 10 inches of snow melted, there would only be 1 inch of water. This ratio can change a lot depending on how wet the snow is, temperature, and weather patterns of the place where it is snowing. Some snowfalls have a 20:1 ratio, which means that it takes more snow to make the same amount of water, while other snowfalls can have a 5:1 ratio, meaning the opposite.
The next time you are outside playing in the snow, pick up a handful and see if you can look for clues that will tell you about the snow ratio. Is the snow light and fluffy, meaning there is a lot of “wiggle room” between snowflakes? That type of snow will have a higher ratio, meaning a lot of snow will melt into a little water. If the snow is heavy, wet, and clumpy, there is less “wiggle room.” This snow will have a lower ratio, meaning a lot of snow will melt into quite a bit of water.
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