This month we explore some fun facts about snow.
Snow is NOT frozen rain. While it is true that snow is frozen water, it does not form from rain. Sleet is frozen rain. Snow is frozen water vapor [the gas form of water]. Snow forms when water vapor inside of clouds changes directly into a solid without first becoming a liquid.
Scientists call single snowflakes snow crystals. A snow crystal is a single ice crystal. The term snowflake has a broader meaning. A snowflake is a piece of snow falling from the sky. It can refer to a single snow crystal, but it can also refer to clumps of crystals that stick together as they fall.
The shape of a snow crystal is determined by the conditions it experiences. All snow crystals have six sides as a result of the way the water particles line up. Individual snow crystals, however, can take an infinite number of shapes. They can be as simple as hexagonal blocks, or they can form intricate, feathery branched structures. As each snow crystal moves through clouds and falls from the sky, it experiences different temperatures and humidity levels. These changes in conditions change the way the “arms” of the crystal grow. Since different snowflakes take different paths, they each experience different conditions, resulting in many different shapes and patterns.
Most people on Earth have never experienced snowfall.
It never snows in some of the most populated areas on Earth, such as India, Africa, and the Middle East. This means over half of the world’s population has never experienced this phenomenon. Have you ever seen snow?
What Do You Think? How would you explain and describe snow to someone who has never experienced it? (If you’ve never experienced it yourself, use what you’ve learned.)
Photo Credit: (l, c, r) Marion Owen/Design Pics/Getty Images
