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Palomar7

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2017-12-20

Posts: 81

Orange-tinted snow makes ski resort look like Mars

https://www.yahoo.com/gma/orange-tinted … ories.html

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Original registration - May 2002

[i]I want that Million Year Picnic on Mars[/i]

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,433

Re: Orange-tinted snow makes ski resort look like Mars

Gave this post elsewhere with RobertDyck's response.

Some day maybe we will be doing this on Mars.

Some day maybe we will be doing this on Mars.

You know, right now that doesn't look attractive. This is March, end of winter. Here in Winnipeg we've had snow since November. Here March is always a month of melting snow. Beginning of the month is full winter, with cold and deep snow. Later in the month it melts during the day, freezes at night. Puddles form on streets; when that freezes at night it forms polished ice. With clear ice over black asphalt, we call that "black ice". It's much more slippery than packed snow, very dangerous to drive on. Driving conditions this month are the worst of the entire year. As I type this, there's a puddle in the back lane behind my house. At least snow and ice obstructing storm drains on the street have cleared, allowing melt water to drain away. Weather report says it's +0.8°C right now. Most of the snow is gone by April 1st, but there's often one last snow storm the first weekend of April, but the last snow melts completely away within a week.

This time of year people can be seen outside without a parka. You can stay outside for several minutes without any jacket at all. Winnipeggers often go out in this weather with snow boots, light jacket, and shorts. Or jeans and a shirt, no jacket at all. I can take the garbage out wearing snow boots, jeans and a T-shirt, but can't stay out there long without a light jacket.

It's muddy, dirty. Grass hasn't started to grow yet, but ground is exposed in places were snow was shallow. Ground is thawing, and with melt water everywhere it's mud. Garbage hidden in snow over the winter is exposed as snow melts away. Dead leaves from last fall, wet and rotting. Sand spread on roads by city trucks to provide traction on packed snow in winter. Much of that sand was scraped off when snow was plowed onto boulevards beside the street. So snow banks beside the street are black with sand, dirt, rotting leaves exposed by melting snow. That black stuff warms more during the day so melts into the snow bank. March is an ugly mess. April: grass grows, trees bud new leaves, flowers start to sprout. April is beautiful spring. But right now it's ugly. When my father retired, he decided to spend every March in Phoenix Arizona. Why live through March when you don't have to?

So pardon me that I find your scene of skiing not attractive.