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University Communications Network > Ask Dr. Universe > climate change

Where does all the snow go after winter? – Bobo, 7, Washington state

January 22, 2026 melissamayer

Dear Bobo,

There’s nothing more magical than sparkly flakes gently falling on a fluffy blanket of snow. But it’s a temporary kind of magic. When it warms up, the snow disappears.

I asked my friend Jennifer Adam what’s going on. She’s a water scientist at Washington State University.

She told me snow is frozen water. When temperatures rise, it melts. The solid frozen water turns back into liquid water.

That melted-snow water works just like rain water. It soaks into the ground. It fills up the spaces between bits of underground soil and rock. That’s the water that plants slurp up with their … » More …

Why in the world is the ice that polar bears depend on melting? — Maeve, 7, Canada

January 16, 2025 melissamayer

Dear Maeve,

There’s just something special about those powerful, snow-white polar bears. That’s probably why it’s so hard to learn about what’s happening to their habitat.

I talked about that with my friend Anthony Pagano. He used to work with the grizzlies at Washington State University’s Bear Center. He studies polar bears in Alaska.

He told me that scientists classify polar bears as marine mammals—like whales, dolphins and other mammals that live in the ocean.

“They’re reliant on the sea ice that occurs over the Arctic Ocean,” he said. “They use the ice as a platform to catch seals.”

Polar bears spend … » More …

What causes the oceans to rise? – Ash, 11, Kentucky

February 2, 2023 melissamayer

Dear Ash,

There are two ways to answer your question. One looks at why the ocean rises and falls every day. The other explores what’s causing sea level to rise over time.

I talked about both with my friend Jonathan Robinson. He’s the Beach Watchers coordinator at Washington State University Snohomish County Extension.

If you’re at the beach during high tide, the beach looks smaller because the water comes up higher onto the beach. The tides are what make that happen, Robinson told me.