Does the temperature affect the sound of snow underfoot?

"Canadians like to claim that they can tell the temperature outside by the sound the snow makes underfoot. The topic has not been well studied, but researchers from the University of Wisconsin suggest that, at temperatures above -10C, the pressure of a foot causes a thin layer of snow to melt, producing a crunching sound as it compresses. Closer to zero, the sliding of grains becomes a squelch as the snow approaches the condition of slush,"

"but as the temperature approaches -10C the snow becomes progressively crunchier. Below -10C though, the dominant sound is the ice crystals themselves being crushed, producing more of a squeaking. The lower the temperature, the more the ice crystals tend to stick to each other, which creates more friction, so the louder the squeak. The exact sound also depends on the depth of the snow and the type of surface beneath, and how long the snow has been on the ground."

At temperatures above -10C, foot pressure melts a thin layer of snow and produces a crunching sound as it compresses. Near 0C, sliding of grains creates a squelch as the snow approaches slush. As temperature approaches -10C the snow becomes progressively crunchier. Below -10C the dominant sound is ice crystals being crushed, producing a squeak that grows louder as crystals stick together and friction increases. The exact sound also depends on snow depth, the surface beneath, and snow age. Experienced walkers can learn to distinguish these sounds and may recognize a warning squeak that signals dangerously cold conditions.

Read at www.theguardian.com