Can snow stick

Jaybird180

Jaybird180

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Jaybird180
...to an airplane?

Was at the airport today and expected to fly. Just when it's nearing launch time the snow comes down (was watching it approaching on radar beforehand anyhow). Based upon the rate and reduced visibility, the flight was scrubbed.

Someone asked why we weren't flying, to which I (sarcastically) replied "The Skyhawk doesn't have FIKI." Mr. Oneupmanship retorts that snow will not adhere to an airplane.

I look out the window and see the snowflakes fall to a wet ground and cease to become snow. I note the temperature at the surface is <30 dF and I'm skeptical (despite the experience of the commenter).

Make this make sense for me.
 
I won't fly when it is between 35f and 25 f and snowing... Anything above and the snowflakes melt when they hit the planes surface.. Any lower and the snowflakes blow right on past and never stick..... YMMV..;)
 
Light dry powdered snow may not stick. Wet snow probably will stick. Would I fly in snow? Depends on the mission. And the type of snow.
 
Probably a lot of "depends" in any answer.

However, probably the best example is your car. Does snow stick to your car when you drive? Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't.
 
Reduced visibility should be the only deciding factor....I've never hesitated to fly in snow in the Pacific Northwest. However, when that still small voice in your gut says "No," don't go.

Bob Gardner
 
Heavy wet snow can clog up your ram air filter. Also if your going IFR even if the snow isn't sticking to the airframe the cloud that it's falling from can produce significant ice that WILL stick.
 
Flew in snow a few times in Germany and never stuck. Then again it was cold, dry snow and I was in an aircraft approved for icing so I had some confidence there. These days I fly in an unapproved icing aircraft and I'm restricted from flying less than 5 C with visible moisture. So basically I'm really checking all the AWOSs in the area for any signs of rain mixed with the snow. Over the past month I've flown through snow several times at night and it never stuck. I periodically check the OAT and check the windscreen with my flashlight though just to make sure.
 
Worry more about visibility more than the snow,can be tough if you get into a squall. Have been in snow once or twice,not crazy about it.
 
Depends on the snow and temps. I've flown in snow squawls many times. Only once did it stick and only for a few seconds then I was in colder air. The stuck snow evaporated (sublimation) quickly.
 
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As Bob said, gotta watch visibility. When I took my IA check ride the DPE (who was from the northeast) said snow was not a problem for the airframe and I've found that to be true. Mixed rain & snow always sounds like a bad day. Also gotta watch snow accumulation on the wings while on the ground.
 
well discussed here. Only thing to add is that with dry snow and higher speeds, static wicks are a good idea
 
Snowing <> airframe icing. As others mentioned, it can clog the air intake, but an alternate air source will fix that. Even wet snow on a cold soaked plane will not have the sort of build-up that you would see with ice.

As a VFR pilot, the bigger concern is visibility. Visibility can drop quickly, so anything more than light flurries should generally be avoided.

I'm based just down the road from you saw the same weather today. Your concern with ice would be valid if you flew in the actual clouds.
 
Snow does stick to an airplane.

When I was in my previous hangar and had my Cherokee, snow would blow in through the ridge vent and put a nice line of snow about 4 inches wide across the wings, and the fuselage if I pushed it too far back. If I kept it towards the door, it would fall just behind the wings. Anyway, I pulled the plane out, and figured that it would all blow off once I got flying. Nope, a little bit stuck to the plane the entire flight.
 
Greg Bockelman said:
Light dry powdered snow may not stick. Wet snow probably will stick.
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Concur.

Would I fly in snow? Depends on the mission. And the type of snow.
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Absent the Hovitos Indians closing in with spears and poison dart blowguns, I'd say it depends a lot more on the type of snow than on the mission. A misplaced sense of urgency has killed too many people in airplanes.
 
Wet snow is more likely to stick & refreeze as you gain altitude. Dry snow can be an issue if you move plane from warm hangar to outside - thaw and re-freeze. Light, dry snow is generally not an issue.

To me, it depends on a number of factors from type of snow to whether the plane has sat outside & allowed build-up to temperature trends.
 
Although I was disappointed I didn't fly, I am glad that I made the right choice.
 
The only time I've flown through falling snow we were already airborne when we encountered it. I was ready to turn around but my CFI said to go through it. Nothing stuck, but viz was compromised. Now, if we were on the ground and snow was piling up on the airframe - no way. Not unless we could clear it all off and it stayed off. No different than frost. So, as noted above - it depends.
 
FWIW I've never taken enough accumulation from snow alone to be of concern. YMMV. Get to where it's a lot more wet then snow and I'd be starting to worry.
 
EdFred said:
Snow does stick to an airplane.

When I was in my previous hangar and had my Cherokee, snow would blow in through the ridge vent and put a nice line of snow about 4 inches wide across the wings, and the fuselage if I pushed it too far back. If I kept it towards the door, it would fall just behind the wings. Anyway, I pulled the plane out, and figured that it would all blow off once I got flying. Nope, a little bit stuck to the plane the entire flight.
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...which is why the requires a "clean wing" in for-hire operations (135.227). The wing does not know whether or not the passengers have paid for their ride. More than one pilot has learned the hard way that snow does not always blow off during the takeoff roll.

Bob Gardner
 
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