A snowflake is a collection of snow crystals that have bonded together. Many people mistake snowflakes for frozen raindrops, but this is not the case. Snowflakes are formed from frozen vapor in the clouds, whereas sleet is formed from frozen raindrops. Diamond dust crystals, which can be as small as a human hair in diameter, are the smallest snowflakes. These appear more frequently in extremely cold climates. Snowflakes can grow to be as large as a penny. Every second, approximately 1 million billion snowflakes fall on Earth, according to estimates.
It is estimated that roughly half of the world’s population has never seen snow.
Snow isn’t really white. It has a translucent appearance. Because light cannot easily pass through, it is reflected, giving it a white appearance to the eye.
Snow can also appear blue if it has been allowed to accumulate many layers. It is more likely to appear blue in areas with deeper snow.
Snow can appear pink in areas where fresh water algae have tinted the snow with red pigment.
The most snowfall in the United States in a 24-hour period occurred in Silver Lake, Colorado, in 1921. Between April 14 and April 15, 75.8 inches of rain fell.
In Key West, Florida, there has never been a report of snowfall. Only 41 degrees Fahrenheit have been recorded there.
An igloo, despite being made of snow, can be 100 degrees warmer on the inside than it is on the outside.
Igloos are constructed of compacted snow, which does not conduct heat because it is mostly trapped air.
The largest snowball fight in history occurred in Seattle in 2013, when 5,834 people exchanged snowballs.
The most snow angels were made in one place in North Dakota in 2007, when 8,962 people lay in the snow and made snow angels.
There is a popular belief that no two snowflakes are alike. There may be snowflakes that look very similar, but no one has ever photographed two identical snowflakes. This is not to say that two identical snowflakes never existed.
The humidity and temperature at the time of formation determine the shape of a snowflake.
The needle crystal, columnar crystal, plate crystal, combination of columnar and plate crystals, columnar crystal with extended side planes, rimed crystal, irregular snow crystal, and germ of snow crystal are all types of snowflakes.
Each snowflake contains about 200 snow crystals.
There are six sides to a snowflake.
A snowflake travels at a speed of 3 to 4 miles per hour.
The vast majority of the world’s fresh water supply is in the form of ice and snow.
On average, the United States experiences 105 snowstorms per year.
A 122-foot-tall snowman was built in Maine in 2008.
In 1992, the city of Syracuse, considered the snowiest major city in the United States, passed a law making any additional snowfall before Christmas illegal. Regardless, it snowed.
