SNOW FACTS
What Is Snow?
When
water freezes inside clouds, ice crystals form. Ice crystals are crystals that
have formed around tiny bits of dirt that have been carried up into the
atmosphere by the wind. The ice crystals join together creating snow flakes.
Once the flakes are heavy enough they fall to the ground as snow. Each snowflake
is made up of from 2 to about 200 separate crystals. In addition to a normal
snow fall, snow can drift to the ground lightly as flurries, fall heavily as a
snowstorm, or pile up quickly by being blown by strong winds in a blizzard.
What Color Is Snow?
Believe
it or not, snow is actually clear or transparent. Snow appears white because the
crystals act as prisms, breaking up the light of the sun into the entire
spectrum of color. The human eye is unable to handle that kind of sensory
overload. Therefore, we see the snow as white or sometimes blue. The color of
snow can depend on the environment in which you live. Some snowflakes look like
they are pink. If you live in a place where your soil is red, snow is pink. The
red dust blows into the clouds, discoloring the snow.
How Big Is A Snowflake?
Most
snowflakes are less than one-half inch across. The largest snowflake recorded
was fifteen inches in diameter. All snowflakes have six sides and no two
snowflakes are alike.
How Many Snowflake Shapes Are
There?
Scientists
think that there are five different shapes of snow crystals; a long needle
shape, hollow column that is shaped like a six-sided prism, thin and flat
six-sided plates, six-pointed stars and intricate dendrites.
What Makes The Different
Shapes?
The
shape that a snow crystal will take depends on the temperature at which it was
formed. When the temperature is around 32°F to 25°F thin six sided plates are
formed. At 25°F to 21°F long needle shapes are formed. At 21°F to 14°F
hallow columns are formed. At 14°F to 10°F six-point stars are formed. At 10°F
to 3°F dendrites are formed. The colder it is outside, the smaller the
snowflakes that fall. The fluffiest snow falls at temperatures around 15°F.
