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Magono & Lee Classification of Snow Crystals

These two snow scientists conducted extensive field work on weather conditions, moisture, temperature, etc., that affect snow crystal formation.

Their article "Meteorological Classification of Natural Snow Crystals," appeared in the Journal of the Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Japan.

Magono & Lee classification of snow crystals includes 80 different snow crystal types arranged into a comprehensive scheme that provides a numbering and lettering system to categorized snow crystals according to shape and structure.

Magono and Lee Developed their Comprehensive Snow Crystal Chart in 1966

Snowflake's Mom and Dad
Mom and Dad
N1a Elementary needle
N1a Elementary needle
C1f Hollow column
C1f Hollow column
Many snowfalls contain mostly columnar crystals. The columns are hexagonal, and often form with hollowed out cones-like indentations at each end.
P2b Stellar crystal with sectorlike ends
P2b Stellar crystal with sectorlike ends
N1b Bundle of elementary needles
N1b Bundle of elementary needles
C1g Solid thick plate
C1g Solid thick plate
P2c Dendritic crystal with plates at end
P2c Dendritic crystal with plates at end
N1c Elementary sheath
N1c Elementary sheath
C1h Thick plate of skeleton form
C1h Thick plate of skeleton form
P2d Dendritic crystal with sectorlike ends
P2d Dendritic crystal with sectorlike ends
N1d Bundle of elementary sheaths
N1d Bundle of elementary sheaths
C1i Scroll
C1i Scroll
P2e Plate with simple extensions
P2e Plate with simple extensions
N1e Long solid column
N1e Long solid column
C2a Combination of bullets
C2a Combination of bullets
P2f Plate with sectorlike extensions
P2f Plate with sectorlike extensions
N2a Combination of needles
N2a Combination of needles
C2b Combination of columns
C2b Combination of columns
P2g Plate with dendritic extensions
P2g Plate with dendritic extensions
N2b Combination of sheaths
N2b Combination of sheaths
P1a Hexagonal plate
P1a Hexagonal plate
P3a Two-branched crystal
P3a Two-branched crystal
N2c Combination of long solid columns
N2c Combination of long solid columns
P1b Crystal with sectorlike branches
P1b Crystal with sectorlike branches
P3b Three-branched crystal
P3b Three-branched crystal
C1a Pyramid
C1a Pyramid
P1c Crystal with broad branches
P1c Crystal with broad branches
P3c Four-branched crystal
P3c Four-branched crystal
C1b Cup
C1b Cup
P1d Stellar crystal
P1d Stellar crystal
P4a Broad branch crystal with 12 branches
P4a Broad branch crystal with 12 branches
C1c Solid bullet
C1c Solid bullet
P1e Ordinary dendritic crystal
P1e Ordinary dendritic crystal
P4b Dendritic crystal with 12 branches
P4b Dendritic crystal with 12 branches
C1d Hollow bullet
C1d Hollow bullet
P1f Fernlike crystal
P1f Fernlike crystal
P5 Malformed crystal
P5 Malformed crystal
C1e Solid Column
C1e Solid Column
P2a Stellar crystal with plates at end
P2a Stellar crystal with plates at end
R4a Hexagonal graupel
R4a Hexagonal graupel
P6d Stellar crystal with spatial dendrites
P6d Stellar crystal with spatial dendrites
S2 Scalelike side planes
S2 Scalelike side planes
R4b Lump graupel
R4b Lump graupel
P7a Radiating assemblage of plates
P7a Radiating assemblage of plates
S3 Combination of side planes, bullets, and columns
S3 Combination of side planes, bullets, and columns
R4c Conelike graupel
R4c Conelike graupel
P7b Radiating assemblage of dendrites
P7b Radiating assemblage of dendrites
R1a Rimed needle crystal
R1a Rimed needle crystal
I1 Ice particle
I1 Ice particle
CP1a Column with plates
CP1a Column with plates
or Capped Columns Capped Coluumns are basically crystals which start out as columns, but suddenly switch to plate-like growth. This phenomon may happen if a crystal gets blown into a region with a different temperature.
R1b Rimed columnar crystal
R1b Rimed columnar crystal
I2 Rimed particle
I2 Rimed particle
CP1b Column with dendrites
CP1b Column with dendrites
R1c Rimed plate or sector
R1c Rimed plate or sector
I3a Broken branch
I3a Broken branch
CP1c Multiple capped column
CP1c Multiple capped column
R1d Rimed stellar crystal
R1d Rimed stellar crystal
I3b Rimed broken branch
I3b Rimed broken branch
CP2a Bullet with plates
CP2a Bullet with plates
R2a Densely rimed plate or sector
R2a Densely rimed plate or sector
I4 Miscellaneous
I4 Miscellaneous
CP2b Bullet with dendrites
CP2b Bullet with dendrites
R2b Densely rimed plate or sector
R2b Densely rimed plate or sector
G1 Minute column
G1 Minute column
CP3a Stellar crystal with needles
CP3a Stellar crystal with needles
R2c Stellar crystal with rimed spatial branches
R2c Stellar crystal with rimed spatial branches
G2 Germ of skeleton form
G2 Germ of skeleton form
CP3b Stellar crystal with columns
CP3b Stellar crystal with columns
R3a Graupellike snow of hexagonal type
R3a Graupellike snow of hexagonal type
G3 Minute hexagonal plate
G3 Minute hexagonal plate
CP3c Stellar crystal with scrolls at ends
CP3c Stellar crystal with scrolls at ends
R3b Graupellike snow of lump type
R3b Graupellike snow of lump type
G4 Minute stellar crystal
G4 Minute stellar crystal
G6 Irregular Germ
G6 Irregular Germ
G5 Minute assemblage of plates
G5 Minute assemblage of plates

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