Rare snow-rollers spotted in field....

[Itsallaguess]

A rare natural phenomenon which makes it look like wheels of snow have been rolled on their own has been captured in photos.

Six rare "snow rollers" were spotted by Brian Bayliss in Wiltshire.

He said he spotted them in a field he owns and at first thought they had been manmade but there were no footprints.

It is thought the bales are formed when wind conditions are ideal to blow chunks of snow along, picking up more snow along the way.



A layer of thin snow, settled atop existing ice and not sticking to it, combined with specific temperature, moisture level and wind speed, are fundamental to the creation of these natural oddities.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-47108382

I've never heard of these before today - has anyone ever seen one?

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

[GoSeigen]

A rare natural phenomenon which makes it look like wheels of snow have been rolled on their own has been captured in photos.

Six rare "snow rollers" were spotted by Brian Bayliss in Wiltshire.

He said he spotted them in a field he owns and at first thought they had been manmade but there were no footprints.

It is thought the bales are formed when wind conditions are ideal to blow chunks of snow along, picking up more snow along the way.



A layer of thin snow, settled atop existing ice and not sticking to it, combined with specific temperature, moisture level and wind speed, are fundamental to the creation of these natural oddities.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-47108382

I've never heard of these before today - has anyone ever seen one?

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

Yes, saw them a couple of years ago when skiing in Japan. It's a bit like the way you roll a snowball up along the ground, just using the wind and/or gravity as propulsion. With the right slope and temperature you can set them off with a mini-snowball.

The earth being as large as it is the conditions always exist somewhere for these to occur -- I don't think they're as rare as people make out, but obviously we get very little snow in the UK so people get as excited as they do when they see a dark skin tone or hear a Slavic language!

GS

[Itsallaguess]

I don't think they're as rare as people make out, but obviously we get very little snow in the UK so people get as excited as they do when they see a dark skin tone or hear a Slavic language!

Bloody hell GS - I only posted about it as a bit of light relief....

Itsallaguess

[GoSeigen]

I don't think they're as rare as people make out, but obviously we get very little snow in the UK so people get as excited as they do when they see a dark skin tone or hear a Slavic language!

Bloody hell GS - I only posted about it as a bit of light relief....

Itsallaguess

Sorry itsallaguess, just had the Daily-Mail-reading parents visiting today, I guess my sarcasm engine got a bit over-revved!!

GS

[madhatter]

With the right slope and temperature you can set them off with a mini-snowball.

However, the article describes them as “natural oddities”, which implies that they are naturally occurring and that they have not been “started off” (deliberately).

I find it hard to imagine how they might start naturally, but the article was very vague and hand wavy. Harder still to imagine them starting off without assistance and having a near hollow centre.

[Slarti]

I find it hard to imagine how they might start naturally, but the article was very vague and hand wavy. Harder still to imagine them starting off without assistance and having a near hollow centre.

As often is the case, Wikipedia is your friend https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_roller


Slarti

[madhatter]

I find it hard to imagine how they might start naturally, but the article was very vague and hand wavy. Harder still to imagine them starting off without assistance and having a near hollow centre.

As often is the case, Wikipedia is your friend https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_roller


Slarti

That explains how they can have an empty centre but still doesn’t throw much light on how they start. Could be eddying on the top of a ridge perhaps, or maybe for narrow ones a build up against some small protrusion which then comes loose and starts rolling?

I’ve not been aware of them before this.

[richlist]

With the right slope and temperature you can set them off with a mini-snowball.

I find it hard to imagine how they might start naturally, but the article was very vague and hand wavy. Harder still to imagine them starting off without assistance and having a near hollow centre.

White Leprechauns........escaped from Ireland and arrived in Wiltshire as illegal immigrants. This is the sort of silly little trick they would play on unsuspecting Brits who always seem to be looking for logical answers when there aren't any.

[scotia]

White Leprechauns........escaped from Ireland and arrived in Wiltshire as illegal immigrants. This is the sort of silly little trick they would play on unsuspecting Brits who always seem to be looking for logical answers when there aren't any.

And in the summer, when sunburn improves their camouflage, they work on producing crop circles