THE SNOW 37 



ing, and the almost constant waste from melting 

 and evaporation, the average depth actually found 

 at any time seldom exceeds ten feet in the forest 

 region, or fifteen feet along the slopes of the sum 

 mit peaks. 



Even during the coldest weather evaporation 

 never wholly ceases, and the sunshine that abounds 

 between the storms is sufficiently powerful to melt 

 the surface more or less through all the winter 

 months. Waste from melting also goes on to some 

 extent on the bottom from heat stored up in the 

 rocks, and given off slowly to the snow in contact 

 with them, as is shown by the rising of the streams 

 on all the higher regions after the first snowfall, and 

 their steady sustained flow all winter. 



The greater portion of the snow deposited around 

 the lofty summits of the range falls in small crisp 

 flakes and broken crystals, or, when accompanied 

 by strong winds and low temperature, the crystals, 

 instead of being locked together in their fall to 

 form tufted flakes, are beaten and broken into meal 

 and fine dust. But down in the forest region the 

 greater portion comes gently to the ground, light 

 and feathery, some of the flakes in mild weather 

 being nearly an inch in diameter, and it is evenly 

 distributed and kept from drifting to any great ex 

 tent by the shelter afforded by the large trees. 

 Every tree during the progress of gentle storms is 

 loaded with fairy bloom at the coldest and darkest 

 time of year, bending the branches, and hushing 

 every singing needle. But as soon as the storm is 

 over, and the sun shines, the snow at once begins 

 to shift and settle and fall from the branches in 



