{"id":19630,"date":"2015-01-14T06:00:30","date_gmt":"2015-01-14T12:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.universalweather.com\/blog\/?p=19630"},"modified":"2024-04-11T10:35:07","modified_gmt":"2024-04-11T15:35:07","slug":"snow-its-effects-on-aircraft-runways-part-1-types-of-snow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.universalweather.com\/blog\/snow-its-effects-on-aircraft-runways-part-1-types-of-snow\/","title":{"rendered":"Snow \u2013 Its Effects on Aircraft & Runways: Part 1 \u2013 Types of Snow"},"content":{"rendered":"

This business aviation blog post is part of a series on snow and its effects on aircraft and runways<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With the winter season now upon much of the Northern Hemisphere, it’s time to start thinking about snow. Different types of snow and snow byproducts have the potential to significantly impact general aviation movements throughout many parts of the world. Awareness of the different types of snow and snow activity is important when planning trips to snow-prone areas.
\nThe following is an overview of what you need to know:<\/p>\n

1. Snow \u2013 defined<\/h2>\n

According to the National Weather Service (NWS) Glossary<\/a><\/strong>, snow<\/strong> is precipitation in the form of ice crystals \u2013 mainly composed of intricately branched hexagonal crystals agglomerated into snowflakes. Snow is formed directly by the freezing (deposition) of water vapor in the air. The different types of snow are dependent on the type of snow crystals \u2013 such as snowflakes, graupel, or ice crystals.<\/p>\n

Ice pellets or sleet<\/a><\/strong> is defined as pellets of ice composed of frozen raindrops or refrozen partially melted snowflakes. Snow pellets<\/a> or graupel<\/strong> consists of crisp, white, opaque ice particles round or conical in shape and about 2-5 mm in diameter. Slush<\/strong> is melted or melting (water-saturated) snow and can be in combination with any of the above.<\/p>\n

2. SNOWTAM and snow types<\/h2>\n
\n
SNOWTAM<\/strong><\/dt>\n
A special series NOTAM notifying the presence, or removal, of hazardous conditions due to snow, ice, slush, or standing water associated with snow, slush, and ice on the movement area, by means of a specific format.<\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

ICAO Annex 15, Appendix 2<\/a> provides the SNOWTAM format and definition for runway conditions. As defined in the SNOWTAM, snow types that may be deposited on the runway are:<\/p>\n