Snowdrift

For the community in the Northwest Territories, Canada formerly known as Snowdrift, see Lutselk'e. For the problem in game theory, see Chicken (game).

A snowdrift is a deposit of snow sculpted by wind into a mound during a snowstorm. Snowdrifts resemble sand dunes and are formed in a similar manner, namely, by wind moving light snow and depositing it when the wind has virtually stopped, usually against a stationary object. Snow normally crests and slopes off toward the surface on the windward side of a large object. On the leeward side, areas near the object are a bit lower than surrounding areas but are generally flatter.

Women standing atop a large snowdrift from the Northeastern United States blizzard of 1978

The impact of snowdrifts on transportation can be more significant than the snowfall itself, such as in the US during the Great Blizzard of 1978. Snowdrifts are usually found at or on roads, as the crest of the roadbed or the furrows along the road create the disruption to the wind needed to shed its carried snow. Snow fences may be employed on the windward side of the road to intentionally create a drift before the snow-laden wind reaches the road.

Photo gallery

• 
  Snowdrift on the Long Mynd, Shropshire, England, United Kingdom
• 
  A snowdrift blocks a car in Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States

See also

• Blizzard
• Lake-effect snow
• Snow removal

External links

• Snowdrift Exhibit at Evansville Museum