Physical chemistry: snow melting rate vs temp.

Self-tutoring about environmental conditions and effects: the tutor looks at snow melt rate.

After much snow, we have rain today: the melt is on. Question: how much more quickly will ice melt at 5°C vs 3°C?

By Newton’s Law of Cooling, the rate a body’s temperature changes is proportional to the difference between its temperature and the surrounding one. Assuming the snow (or ice) has temp 0°C, the ratio of rate of change in 5°C vs 3°C would be 5/3. Therefore, one might suspect that the snow or ice melts 5/3 times as fast at 5°C surrounding temperature vs 3°C.

Source:

ubc.ca