snow line

American  

noun

1. the line, as on mountains, above which there is perpetual snow.

2. the latitudinal line marking the limit of the fall of snow at sea level.

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snow line British  

noun

1. the altitudinal or latitudinal limit of permanent snow

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snow line Scientific  

1. The boundary marking the lowest altitude at which a given area, such as the top of a mountain, is always covered with snow.

2. The boundary marking the furthest extent around the polar regions at which there is snow cover. The polar snow lines vary with the seasons.

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Etymology

Origin of snow line

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

Saturn orbits beyond what astronomers call the "snow line" in the solar system, along with other giant planets that host icy moons, including Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune.

From Science Daily

Saturn lies beyond the solar system's "snow line," along with other giant planets that host icy moons, including Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune.

From Science Daily

First, as temperatures get warmer the rain/snow line will move to higher altitudes, meaning that a greater proportion of precipitation will fall as rain.

From Los Angeles Times

In addition, the snow line has been creeping upward directly in response to the warming that’s taken place over the past few decades, said Alexander Gershunov, research meteorologist with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

From Los Angeles Times

Photos distributed by the office showed rescue workers trying to recover the bodies down from a loose, rocky apron below an even steeper slope above the snow line.

From Seattle Times