Glossary of Snow Terminology

Definitions Glossary of Snow Terms

Snowflake translated, The word Snowflake translated into other languages.

Ablation: Most common form of snow
Blizzard: Winds of at least 35 mph, along with considerable falling or blowing snow that reduces visibility to less than one-quarter mile for at least three hours
Dendrite: Hexagonal ice crystals with complex and fernlike branches
Graupel: Sometimes mistaken for hail, these are snowflakes that become rounded pellets due to riming
Rime: A deposit of ice formed when supercooled water droplets freeze on contact
Snowbursts: Very intense showers of snow, often of short duration, that greatly restrict visibility and produce periods of rapid snow accumulation
Snow flurries/snow showers: Snow that falls for short durations and often changes in intensity. Flurries usually result in very little accumulation.