"The wonder of a single snowflake outweighs the wisdom of a million meteorologists." - Francis Bacon
Snowflake crystals form when water vapor cools and freezes inside clouds.
You might be surprised to find that snowflakes are not all six-sided.
Here are just a sample of the many forms snowcrystals can take:
There are many reasons that no two snowflakes are alike. Snowflakes form by sticking to each other while falling and blowing through the wind. Factors that influence the size and shape of a snowflake are:
The simple answer: Avalanches Happen
Global Snowflake Network Scientists are enlisting volunteers to document the shape of snowflakes around the world.
Antarctica is the coldest place on earth. The next coldest places are a few areas in Russia.
The snowflakes that fall on Antarctica hold valuable scientific information about the atmospheric conditions at the time of their formation. This information is contained in the dust, chemicals and gas that was trapped in the ice during the snowflake's formation.
The Antarctic ice sheet is a collection of snowfalls that fell over hundreds of thousands of years.
![]() Needles |
![]() Hollow Columns |
![]() Sector Plates |
![]() Dendrites |