The most beautiful thing to see is snowflakes falling down from the sky. White snowy goodness has our hearts. So how much do you know about snowflakes? Let’s find out fun facts about snowflakes. How are they formed? What are their symmetries?

Difference between Snow Crystal and Snowflakes

Snow crystals are different from snowflakes. Water vapors when frozen in the clouds result in the formation of snow crystals. Snowflakes formation also occurs in the clouds. But they form when water droplets get frozen in the clouds. Water molecules congregate into solid states like snow and form hydrogen bonds between them. However, the bonds are quite weak. The bond arrangement results in hexagonal symmetry.

Snowflake Sizes

Snowflakes can be as small as the diameter of human hair. The more ice crystals combine together the larger the size of snowflakes will be. The smallest snowflakes are called Diamond Dust crystals. Faceted crystals got their name owing to the fact that they shine in sunlight. This type of crystals appear in less cold weather. The largest snowflake ever recorded was 10mm.

Snow Sleet

When snowflakes cover the distance from the cloud to the ground, some of their parts melt a little before falling on the ground. This is how sleets are formed. Moreover, the frozen raindrops are also known as sleet.

Shape of Snowflakes

The temperature of clouds changes continuously due to which the shape of snowflakes changes. Though the shape of snowflakes changes quickly but hexagonal symmetry is maintained. Snowflakes have six sides. Some common shapes of snowflakes are stars, dendrite, needle, column, lacy, and plate.  

When the weather is extremely cold the shape of snowflakes become needles like. Similarly, as the temperature gets closer to freezing point it leads to the formation of more complicated shapes. Complex shape snowflakes never look alike. The probability of finding two complex snowflakes is nearly zero.

Number of Ice Crystals in Snowflakes

A single snowflake contains at least 200 ice crystals. The large snowflakes are made up of a huge number of ice crystals.

Source of Fresh Water

Snow and ice are the main source of fresh water supply to nearly 80 percent of the world. 90 percent of the earth’s water is in the ocean. Only 2 percent is freshwater. Out of this 90 percent of freshwater is frozen.

Color of Snow

Snow is actually transparent. It has no color. It appears white because light reflects from the ice crystals in a way that white color becomes prominent. Snow could even look grey if coal dust from factories get absorbed in clouds.

Snowstorms

The snow falling from the cloud during thunder and lightning is known as thundersnow. In each snowstorm billions of snowflakes fall from the sky. Approximately 105 snow storms hit the United States each year.

Snow Reflects Light into Space

At the North and South Pole the light that falls on the snow is reflected directly into the space. The snow acts as a mirror for light.

Watermelon Snow   

In the Canadian Rockies reddish algae growing into the snow turned it into red color. That’s why the snow appears red and called watermelon snow.

What are Blizzards?

Heavy snow that falls with wind flowing at a speed of 35 miles per hour are called blizzards. According to a report, the purchase of candies, cake and cookies increase if blizzards are in the forecast.

Largest Snowman

The largest snowman was built in Maine in 2008. It was 122 feet high. The credit for building the largest snow sculpture goes to China. In 2008, 656 feet long and 115 feet tall sculpture was made in Heilongjiang Province.

Snow contain little water  

Though it may look like snow contains a lot of water. But in reality one inch of snow doesn’t even make 1/10 inches of water.

Frances Chickering’s Paper Snowflakes Design

Frances Chickering was the wife of a minister from Maine. She was the first to make different shapes of snowflakes on paper. Frances noticed some snowflakes that fell on her windowsill. She quickly copied the shape and even used them in her book, Cloud Crystals: A Snow-Flake Alum. This book was published in 1864.

World’s Largest Snowflake

The largest snowflake was recorded on 27^th January 1887. Matt Coleman at Fort Keogh, Montana recorded it. This snowflake was the size of a milk pan. According to the Guinness Book of World Record, this snowflake was 8 inches thick and 15 inches wide.

Keep in mind all these fun facts about snowflakes and try to observe snowflakes when it snows next time.