December, the Doorway to Winter: Precipitation

Exploring the outdoors during the winter months often provides unpretentious yet spectacular views of our natural world.  The winter months reveal nature’s basic structures as we marvel at the complexities that exist within.

“When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” 

Aldo Leopold

Aldo Leopold, captured in black and white on a frozen Wisconsin waterway, exemplifies this reality, as do his words in from A Sand County Almanac which remind us of the imperative ecological work that lies ahead. Aldo Leopold is considered by many to have been the greatest influential conservation thinker of the 20^th Century. Learn more about the Aldo Leopold Archives at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

What are the different types of precipitation we can expect in the wintertime? There's rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow, and hail. The type of precipitation that forms above us is different than what we see hitting the ground - this is because of the air temperature of the atmosphere. Learn the secrets of precipitation and what other factors determine the type of droplets that fall from the clouds. 

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This resource was created by Abigail Schmid, Von Scully, and Kate Reilly.