Ever Wonder Why Snow Melts Like This Around Trees In New York?

Spring is officially here and the yearly mystery returns. This time, we have answers.

Credit - NYS DEC

No, you aren't the only person to notice this. It always seems to be bare around the bottom of a tree and it really never made sense why. At first I thought it was just how the snow fell, but apparently there's an actual reason for it.

It has to do with the tree bark. Because the bark on a tree is darker than everything else around it, that being the snow, it absorbs the most heat and sunlight. When it does this, the bark then radiates the heat back outward, melting the snow around the tree.

Credit - NYS DEC

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation says the snow melting around the trees is also what leads to ephemeral flowers to grow.

Ephemerals are small perennials that bloom for only a brief period of time and are one of the first signs of spring in the forest.

Now that Spring has officially sprung in Central New York, you can keep an eye out for these flowers popping up all over. Even better, you can now tell people why the snow melts around trees. What better way to use this random information then to share it with everyone.

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