Five science tricks to make your snowperson last longer – including bizarre ‘coat hack’

IF you’re lucky enough to be graced with snow this year, there are five tricks you need to know to help your snowperson outlive the rest.

Whatever you build – be it a snowman or an igloo – you’ll want to preserve your hard work for as long as you can.

1

Seek shade

While this may be more of a common sense trick than a science one, building your snowman in a shady spot will help it escape that winter sun and last longer.

Avoid tarmac

Of course, you’ll want a level ground – but avoid tarmac areas like your driveway.

Tarmac tends to absorb heat, which can melt your snowman prematurely. 

Try opting for a flat, grassy, ground if you can – any surface that retains the cold.

The best type of snow

The longest living snowpeople are built out of the right kind of snow.

And the best type of snow comes when the temperature is right around the freezing mark.

If you wake up to a blanket of snow and the air temperature is in the single digits (in Celcius) and the teens (in Farenheit) – then its best to wait a few hours for the sun to shine.

This may sound counter-intuitive, but wetter snow – snow that has been slightly warmed by the sun – is stickier and tends to stack up more easily.

Put a coat on it

Veteran science educator of 25 years, Mike Szydlowski, formerly of the Columbia Public Schools, suggested folks should try putting a coat on their snowperson to help them last longer.

It might sound bizarre – but it can work.

“A coat keeps you warm, but does it warm your ice? The answer should be ‘no’,” he explained in the Columbia Daily Tribune.

“Coats keep you warm because they provide insulation.

“A coat or blanket does not produce warmth — it keeps in the warmth your body generates.

“When you place the coat around a block of ice, the same insulating power will keep the ice cool.

“So on a warm day, your snowman or ice block in a blanket would likely stay frozen longer than a snowman or ice block without any insulation.”

Plus, snowpeople look cooler with clothing and accessories.

Spray with water

Lastly, you’ll want to spray the finished snow sculpture with water to freeze the top layer of snow and keep it from melting too quickly.

Of course, that will work only when temperatures are in around the freezing point.

This can also help when your local snow is very cold and fluffy and it doesn’t bond well.

Bonus tip: You can give your snow creation a splash of colour with a spray bottle filled with a mixture of food colouring and water.

This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk