On the electrification of snow

Electrification of snow and related phenomena were investigated by measuring: (1) the charge of snow when pouring it from a vessel into a funnel, (2) the charging of an insulated target when letting snow hit it as well as the charge of the scattered snow, and (3) the charge in air from blowing snow. Specific, basic phenomena were separated. The charge of larger snow particles collected was dependent on the temperature and on the material of the target. The properties of the surfaces seem to be of importance in these phenomena. Enhanced charges of both polarities were measured in air by ion-counters. It seems that these charges are not due to ions, but may be attributed to very small snow particles suspended in air. A compIete insight into the whole problem of electification of snow might be obtained by a systematic consideration of all these specific phenomena.