A Hands-on Lesson in the Science of Snow

If you want to really understand snow, you have to go where the drifts are deep and the cold wind blows.

Students in a third-year geography course on Canada’s frozen environments at U of T Mississauga did just that in February, travelling to Lakefield, Ontario, to analyze a winter landscape firsthand.

The three-day trip gave them a chance to collect and assess snow samples across different types of terrain and compare their findings with data from the nearest government weather station.

“Snow is very difficult to measure accurately – the most difficult of all the weather variables,” says Laura Brown, an associate professor and chair of UTM’s department of geography, geomatics and environment. “It can blow over the gauges, stick to them, or be so light it doesn’t register. And it can vary enormously over a small area.”

Brown leads the annual excursion so students can learn how to gather data in frozen environments.

Some analyzed snow samples for depth, density and temperature; others recorded humidity, wind and reflectance. Using a crystal comparison card, they classified snow grains by size and shape.

Two teams ventured onto nearby Clear Lake to take ice samples. Wearing bright orange floatation suits to guard against hypothermia, they drilled through the frozen surface with an auger, then used rulers and tape measures to determine the ice’s thickness.   

“That’s not something most urban-based folks get to do,” Brown says.  “Seeing the lake ice up close – the bubbles and layers – gets students engaged.” 

Beyond mastering the tools of the trade, students also confront practical challenges, such as trudging through waist-deep snow.

“It’s challenging to run off-campus field trips, especially in the winter,” says Brown. “But experiential learning is crucial in our field. It helps students develop skills and build their résumés.”