Unexplainable – "Snow Day!" (March 11, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this episode of Vox’s Unexplainable, host Bird Pinkerton braves a post-blizzard New York to talk to everyday New Yorkers about their snow experiences and snow science mysteries. Armed with their questions, she speaks to snow scientist Jessica Lundquist (Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington), who answers listener curiosities about snowflakes, sound, structure, and the environmental role of snow. The episode ultimately explores both what we know and don’t know about snow, revealing its hidden complexities and the mysteries that keep even experts fascinated.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Human Joys & Grumbles of Snow

• [01:12 - 04:11] Bird Pinkerton interviews New Yorkers in Prospect Park post-blizzard:
  • People express delight in the “quilt of snow” and snowman-building, as well as frustrations with shoveling and how snow gets dirty over time.
    • “I just love it. Pro snow. Love it. Except a month from now we still have it.” — Unnamed New Yorker ([03:10])
    • “I love it from a distance...Otherwise, I’d have been in my house.” — Unnamed New Yorker ([03:25])
  • Listeners voice their snow curiosities: why is snow quiet, why do snowflakes differ, and what makes some snow good for snowballs?

2. Snowflake Shapes: A Record of the Atmosphere

• [05:17 – 07:25] What forms a snowflake, and why is each different?
  • Jessica Lundquist explains that snowflakes start around a minuscule dust particle (“condensation nuclei”) and their shape is a record of their temperature and humidity journey.
    • “The snowflake's shape is like a record of the life it’s lived, almost like where it’s been?” — Bird ([06:32])
    • “Yes. So it’s telling you about where it’s been in the cloud and what it’s fallen through and whether it hit another snowflake and how it grew.” — Jessica Lundquist ([06:43])
  • Shoutout to Ken Libbrecht at Caltech, who grows designer snowflakes ([06:54]).

3. Sounds of Snow: Crunchy and Quiet

• [07:26 – 10:24] Why does snow crunch or absorb sound?
  • Freshly fallen snow is like a "fluffy pillow" with lots of air pockets. The "crunch" comes from breaking fragile connections (“sintering”) between snow crystals.
    • “When you crunch it, you’re just demolishing a lot of bridges all at once.” — Bird ([09:28])
    • “Yes.” — Jessica Lundquist ([09:28])
  • Snow absorbs sound best right after new snowfall, due to all those loose air pockets.
    • “So the sound gets kind of muffled by going into all those air pockets in the snow and doesn’t get reflected back to your ear.” — Jessica ([10:05])

4. What Makes Some Snow “Snowman Snow”?

• [10:24 – 12:00] Listener question: Why is some snow perfect for snowballs and some not?
  • The “stickiness” of snow is all about temperature and liquid water.
    • “As you get warmer and you get the biggest change above negative 3 degrees C...you actually get more molecules that are liquid, and that makes it really sticky. You can build good snowballs with warmer snow.” — Jessica ([11:23])

5. How Snow Accumulates on Objects

• [12:00 – 13:34] Why does snow stack on branches and wires?
  • Studies show stickiness and stacking depend on snow’s proximity to melting point and its sintering ability (connection-forming).
    • "...the stickiness per se of snow goes up hugely between negative 3°C and 0°C.” — Jessica ([12:49])

6. The Insulation Magic of Snow

• [13:34 – 15:18] What good does snow do for the environment?
  • Snow acts as insulation, keeping the ground and things under it warmer than above the snowpack—a survival strategy for animals, plants, microbes.
    • “If you’re out in a really cold storm, you could dig yourself a snow fort, bury yourself under the snow—you’ll be warmer.” — Jessica ([14:25])
    • “Often in years with less snow, it’s colder for a lot of plants and animals because they can’t hide under that blanket.” — Jessica ([15:10])

7. Snow Science Mysteries and Water Predictions

• [18:31 – 25:09] Jessica Lundquist’s research: why measuring snow (and thus water supply) in mountains is challenging.
  • Snowpack = “free reservoirs” for dry western states, but measuring how much water is stored is tricky due to terrain and snow variability.
    • “So people always want to know—how much water exactly do we have in a snowpack? Because it’s actually so dry out here that people will be told, don’t plant...So a lot of what I try to do is figure out how much snow there is in the mountains at any given point in time.” — Jessica ([19:34])
  • “Snow pillows” measure snow’s weight to estimate water content, but measurements can vary drastically just a few steps away.
    • “If you walk 10 steps to the left, you’re gonna measure something completely different.” — Jessica ([21:45])
  • Satellite data is imperfect; predictions are patchy. Water resource forecasts can miss the mark, especially in dry years, leading to economic consequences.
    • “Colorado River...since 2000, the amount of water in the river was less than what the snow predicted. And 2021 was a particularly bad year...for some people, economic disaster, to get this forecast wrong.” — Jessica ([22:43])
  • Climate change means more rain, less snow—undermining predictability.
    • “Snow itself, by virtue of just storing the water on the hillside, gives you a lot of predictability that we don’t have when it falls as rain instead of snow.” — Jessica ([25:04])

8. Magical Snow Memories

• [25:20 – 26:46] Jessica recounts her favorite snow memory of startling a flock of ptarmigan while skiing in the Colorado Rockies.
  • “All of a sudden the snow erupted and a whole flock of white birds flew out of the snow right in front of me and all around me. It was like the snow erupted birds. I mean, it was beautiful.” — Jessica ([26:20])
  • She is still hoping for a video of ptarmigan “erupting from snow.” ([26:36])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The snowflake’s shape is like a record of the life it’s lived...?” — Bird ([06:32])
• “This is cooler than feathers because snow is always close to its melting point...So snowflakes will do something we call sintering.” — Jessica ([08:17])
• “If you’re out in a really cold storm, you could dig yourself a snow fort, bury yourself under the snow—you’ll be warmer.” — Jessica ([14:25])
• “In terms of value of snow: it’s like free reservoirs, right? It’s storing that water in the winter for the summer.” — Jessica ([19:34])
• “Snow itself, by virtue of just storing the water on the hillside, gives you a lot of predictability that we don’t have when it falls as rain instead of snow.” — Jessica ([25:04])
• “All of a sudden the snow erupted and a whole flock of white birds flew out of the snow right in front of me and all around me. It was like the snow erupted birds. I mean, it was beautiful.” — Jessica ([26:20])

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------| | 01:12 | Bird heads out in the snow, interviews park-goers | | 05:17 | Bird’s conversation with Jessica begins | | 05:32 | Why snowflakes all have different shapes | | 07:26 | Why does snow crunch? Why/how does it absorb sound? | | 10:24 | What makes snow sticky/fluffy/good for snowballs? | | 12:00 | How snow sticks/accumulates on surfaces | | 13:34 | Environmental benefits of snow, insulation | | 18:31 | Jessica talks about her passion for studying snow | | 19:34 | Why snowmelt matters for water supply | | 21:35 | Measuring snow: snow pillows and their challenges | | 22:43 | Water forecast failures — economic impacts | | 24:12 | Climate change’s effects on snow prediction | | 25:20 | Jessica’s favorite snow memory: ptarmigan eruption | | 26:46 | Jessica seeks ptarmigan video evidence |

Tone & Style

The episode blends wonder, curiosity, and the everyday joys and annoyances of snow. Bird’s open, conversational style makes complex science accessible. Jessica’s explanations are clear, playful, and informed by enthusiasm and field experience. There’s space for magical moments and admissions of mystery, in true Unexplainable fashion.

Closing

The episode closes with an invitation to listeners: Send in your own videos of birds (or animals) erupting from the snow and, teasingly, snake questions for an upcoming episode.

For more about Jessica Lundquist’s research, visit the University of Washington’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Got a video of ptarmigan erupting from snow? Email unexplainable@vox.com!