June 22, 2009: Snow Rollers

xoxoxoBruce · 06-21-2009, 11:18 PM

They look a little like snow covered hay rolls, but they are not.

Quote:

On the evening of March 31st, 2009, Tim Tevebaugh was driving home from work east of Craigmont in the southern Idaho Panhandle. Across the rolling hay fields, Tim saw a very unusual phenomenon. The snow rollers that he took pictures of are extremely rare because of the unique combination of snow, wind, temperature and moisture needed to create them. They form with light but sticky snow and strong (but not too strong) winds. These snow rollers formed during the day as they weren’t present in the morning on Tim’s drive to work.

Quote:

The following conditions are needed for snow rollers to form:

The ground must be covered by a layer of ice to which snow will not stick.
The layer of ice must be covered by wet, loose snow with a temperature near the melting point of ice.
The wind must be strong enough to move the snow rollers, but not strong enough to blow them too fast.
Alternatively, gravity can move the snow rollers as when a snowball, such as those that will fall from a tree or cliff, lands on steep hill and begins to roll down the hill.
Because of this last condition, snow rollers are more common in hilly areas. However, the precise nature of the conditions required makes them a very rare phenomenon.

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ZenGum · 06-21-2009, 11:30 PM

Basically, cylindrical snowballs, right?

Wow. I love it when freaky stuff happens.

SPUCK · 06-22-2009, 05:01 AM

Those pictures are from a mile away and they're sixty five feet high. If you look closely you can see cows and sheep embedded in them.

xoxoxoBruce · 06-22-2009, 05:46 AM

Most of them are 18 inches to two feet in diameter.

Tulip · 06-24-2009, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPUCK

Those pictures are from a mile away and they're sixty five feet high. If you look closely you can see cows and sheep embedded in them.

Are there really cows and sheep embedded in them? I peered really closely to the monitor but I don't see any.

xoxoxoBruce · 06-25-2009, 01:26 AM

No, they're less than 2 feet high.

spudcon · 06-22-2009, 06:03 AM

Those are small cows and sheep that I see embedded in them.

capnhowdy · 06-22-2009, 07:27 AM

Makes me want to be there instead of in this 100+ degree hell we're in down here. Looks refreshing.

classicman · 06-22-2009, 07:36 AM

Mother Nature is so amazing - Thanks Bruce, another great find.

Clodfobble · 06-22-2009, 08:03 AM

Katamari Damacy!

Shawnee123 · 06-22-2009, 10:43 AM

Very cool. Reminds me of that rolled up hay or straw or whatever it is...when I worked at the produce farm in the market some guy asked me how much one of those rolls weighed. I'm like "how the hell should I know?" No, not really, I only thought that.

xoxoxoBruce · 06-22-2009, 11:20 AM

A 5 ft hay roll should weigh about 1,000 lbs.

Shawnee123 · 06-22-2009, 11:28 AM

Dang. Wish the Cellar had existed in 1981, or at the very least that I knew Bruce.

That's funny, though, I might have told the guy, these days "I don't know, I'll google it later."

Trilby · 06-22-2009, 12:33 PM

How come so many weird things happen in Idaho?

Hemingway, separatists, my own private...now this.

Makes you think.

dar512 · 06-22-2009, 02:34 PM

Apologies to Bri and Hemingway, but snow rollers happen in lots of places.

06-21-2009, 11:30 PM	#2
ZenGum Doctor Wtf Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Badelaide, Baustralia Posts: 12,861	Basically, cylindrical snowballs, right? Wow. I love it when freaky stuff happens. __________________ Shut up and hug. MoreThanPretty, Nov 5, 2008. Just because I'm nominally polite, does not make me a pussy. Sundae Girl.

06-22-2009, 05:46 AM	#4
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Most of them are 18 inches to two feet in diameter. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

06-25-2009, 01:26 AM	#6
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	No, they're less than 2 feet high. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

06-22-2009, 06:03 AM	#7
spudcon Beware of potatoes Join Date: May 2007 Location: Upstate NY, USA Posts: 2,078	Those are small cows and sheep that I see embedded in them. Attached Images __________________ "I believe that being despised by the despicable is as good as being admired by the admirable." Last edited by spudcon; 06-22-2009 at 06:18 AM. Reason: add pics

06-22-2009, 07:27 AM	#8
capnhowdy Blatantly Homosapien Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 6,200	Makes me want to be there instead of in this 100+ degree hell we're in down here. Looks refreshing. __________________ Please type slowly. I can't read very fast............... and no holy water, please.

06-22-2009, 05:01 AM	#3
SPUCK Professor Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,911	Those pictures are from a mile away and they're sixty five feet high. If you look closely you can see cows and sheep embedded in them.

06-22-2009, 07:36 AM	#9
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	Mother Nature is so amazing - Thanks Bruce, another great find. __________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

06-22-2009, 08:03 AM	#10
Clodfobble UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 20,012	Katamari Damacy! __________________ My book My other book My spirit animal

06-22-2009, 10:43 AM	#11
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	Very cool. Reminds me of that rolled up hay or straw or whatever it is...when I worked at the produce farm in the market some guy asked me how much one of those rolls weighed. I'm like "how the hell should I know?" No, not really, I only thought that. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

06-22-2009, 11:20 AM	#12
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	A 5 ft hay roll should weigh about 1,000 lbs. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

06-22-2009, 11:28 AM	#13
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	Dang. Wish the Cellar had existed in 1981, or at the very least that I knew Bruce. That's funny, though, I might have told the guy, these days "I don't know, I'll google it later." __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

06-22-2009, 12:33 PM	#14
Trilby Slattern of the Swail Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 15,654	How come so many weird things happen in Idaho? Hemingway, separatists, my own private...now this. Makes you think. __________________ In Barrie's play and novel, the roles of fairies are brief: they are allies to the Lost Boys, the source of fairy dust and ...They are portrayed as dangerous, whimsical and extremely clever but quite hedonistic. "Shall I give you a kiss?" Peter asked and, jerking an acorn button off his coat, solemnly presented it to her. —James Barrie Wimminfolk they be tricksy. - ZenGum

06-22-2009, 02:34 PM	#15
dar512 dar512 is now Pete Zicato Join Date: May 2003 Location: Chicago suburb Posts: 4,968	Apologies to Bri and Hemingway, but snow rollers happen in lots of places. __________________ "Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain." -- Friedrich Schiller

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