Mr. Altschule was also able to explain that light rain was significant enough to melt any snow.
Payne and his fellow climbers had set out in the early hours of Thursday, aiming to reach the summit of Mont Blanc by 6am before the heat of the day began to melt the snow.
As well as high rainfall during the winter, the warm temperatures in February - reaching 17.2C at Aberdeen Airport on Tuesday - have led to rapid snow melt, feeding the hydro schemes.
The high spring flows would mimic the historic flows of the Missouri, which were larger due to runoff from snow melt.
The clean-energy glut was predictable, given the tendency of snow to melt in the spring and given whopping increases in the region's wind-generating capacity.
Scotland's environment agency has warned of the possibility of flooding over the weekend as Friday's snow begins to melt.
Only three schools closed on Tuesday, the Conservative-run council has reported, despite snow failing to melt in freezing temperatures.
The Environment Agency has issued a flood warning for the River Clyst, saying it had "responded to today's rainfall and snow melt", and with rain forecast throughout the day it could rise further.
But it will not melt snow, build new runways to ease congestion, make the sun shine or prevent air traffic control strikes or disruptions.
He said sheep could survive for weeks in the snow if necessary, especially if they were in groups as the immediate snow around them would melt and they would resort to eating each other's wool to stay alive.
This phenomenon, called Arctic amplification, occurs as highly reflective Arctic ice and snow melt away, allowing dark land and exposed ocean to absorb more sunlight.
CNN: Warmest Arctic temperatures for 2,000 years, says new study
There are "worries and fears" in Southern European countries that their efforts to reduce unit labor costs under a fixed exchange rate will "melt like snow in the sun, " Ms. Merkel said.
WSJ: German Leader Calls Euro Rate 'Normal,' Warns on Currency Manipulation
Farmers in Wales looking for dead livestock as the snow melt continues have been given a fourth and final week to locate and bury their animals.
BBC: Wales snow: Farmers' 4th and final week to bury animals
Take a metre of powder snow, then melt and freeze, melt and freeze, and after eight to 10 years you have a centimetre of ice.
These changes may have resulted in earlier snow melt and exposure of darker rocks, soil and sea ice, leading to warming throughout Greenland in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries when soot levels were at their highest.
BBC: Human activities have left a visible mark on the Arctic
During the dry period, a large part of the energy supplied by radiation is used to sublimate snow or ice and therefore, energy available for melting is low, which leads to low melt rates.
The Met Office says existing snow in many areas will melt on roads and pavements by day, but refreeze by night to give icy patches.
BBC: Power problems remain after severe weather cuts supplies
Then, when snow or rain wash them onto an ice floe, they darken its surface and thus cause it to melt faster.
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