snow line

snow line, altitude above which or latitude beyond which snow does not melt in summer (usually called the permanent snow line), or, in winter, the line to which snow extends at a given point in time. Factors affecting the location of the snow line are the quantity of snowfall, the steepness of the slope on which snow rests, the exposure of an area to the sun and prevailing winds, the type and velocity of the winds, and the presence or absence of large bodies of water. The level of the snow line is much lower in winter than in summer. It is also affected by distance from the equator, along which it is found at an altitude of c.3 mi (5 km); in polar regions it is at sea level.

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snow line

the altitudinal or latitudinal limit of permanent snow

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snow line [′snō ‚līn]

(geography)

A transient line delineating a snow-covered area or altitude.

An area with more than 50% snow cover.

The altitude or geographic line separating areas in which snow melts in summer from areas having perennial ice and snow.