Brownish/Tan tint to top layer of snow

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caged_beagle

Member
Last weekend before the big snow fall we noticed a brownish, tan tint to the snow. Not just in some areas or near roads but everywhere. From Land O Lakes to Eagle River, WI it was constant. I wish I had taken a picture but I'm not sure it would have shown up anyway. I know that in the summers ashes from far away forest fires can be carried for hundreds of miles being deposited over the terrain. Is there something similar that would do this during the winter time? Is this a weather related occurance? Again, it was quite wide spread. We noticed it all over the place on a 30 mile drive. And now today since it has quit snowing there is no sign of any thing resembling the same tinted top layer of snow. I call it a tint because unlike ash from chimneys or dirt and salt from roads it doesn't really look like it's resting on top of the snow, it just looks like the snow is actually "tinted".

Any ideas? Thanks!

BTW, have a great trip!
 
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radsrh

New member
According to the local news ( channel 12 ) What was seen on top of the snow was dust carried up from Kansas from high winds over there fields. Caused a dust storm that settled out over our area.
 
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caged_beagle

Member
Wow! I did google it and didn't find anything about it. This would make sense to me as I stated in the question I know that happens in the summer with forest fire ash. Not too mention the wind and dust from that part of the country can be intense to say the least.

Any more insight, anyone?

Thanks again.
 
F

frnash

Active member
About that new snow …

You've heard about yellow snow. Now how about brown snow?! :eek:

"Brown Snow? Kansas Winds Bring a Coating of Dust to Upper Michigan

An odd event was observed across the western portions of Upper Michigan Sunday afternoon as brown snow fell from the sky and covered the ground. The brown color can be attributed to dust originating across western Kansas and the panhandle of Oklahoma. When the system that brought snow to Upper Michigan Sunday was developing across the northern Great Plains on Saturday, strong southerly winds kicked up loose dust. This dust was carried northward by the strong winds across Nebraska and into the Dakotas. Once the dust reached the Dakotas, it became wrapped up in the developing storm circulation and was transported eastward on Sunday. When a patch of snow moved across far northern Wisconsin and western Upper Michigan Sunday afternoon, it deposited some of this dust across the area, leaving a fine brown coating on the snow."
Click to expand...
As ol' Paul Harvey would have said: "Now you know the rest of the story!" See the link for more: NWS Marquette: snow report. (That report still appears at that link.)
 
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mrsrunningbear

mrsrunningbear

Active member
We had that dust all over the resort, I couldn't figure out where the dust would've come from (no corn fields and such) When came in and got on FB :eek: I saw the report from Marquette about the dust from Kansas spreading over our area, pretty strange indeed! Wish I would have taken pictures
 
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rmk4ever

New member
Not to hijack this thread but, The snow that fell over central mn Milaca thru Hinkley anyway all seam to have a "blueish hue" to it, is that from all the water in the snow? Every driveway & lot I plowed when you stacked it, it looks blue. Or is that I'm just gettin old?
 
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