Formation

Sketch of snow crystal by Ren Descartes Snow crystals form when tiny supercooled cloud droplets (about 10 m in diameter) freeze. These droplets are able to remain liquid at temperatures lower than 18 C(0 F), because to freeze, a few molecules in the droplet need to get together by chance to form an arrangement similar to that in an ice lattice, then the droplet freezes around this "nucleus." Experiments show that this "homogeneous" nucleation of cloud droplets only occurs at temperatures lower than 35 C (31 F). In warmer clouds an aerosol particle or "ice nucleus" must be present in (or in contact with) the droplet to act as a nucleus. The particles that make ice nuclei are very rare compared to nuclei upon which liquid cloud droplets form; however, it is not understood what makes them efficient. Clays, desert dust and biological particles may be effective, although to what extent is unclear. Artificial nuclei include particles of silver iodide and dry ice, and these are used to stimulate precipitation in cloud seeding. Once a droplet has frozen, it grows in the supersaturated environment, which is one where air is saturated with respect to ice when the temperature is below the freezing point. The droplet then grows by deposition of water molecules in the air (vapor) onto the ice crystal surface where they are collected. Because water droplets are so much more numerous than the ice crystals due to their sheer abundance, the crystals are able to grow to hundreds of micrometers or millimeters in size at the expense of the water droplets. This process is known as the WegenerBergeronFindeisen process. The corresponding depletion of water vapor causes the droplets to evaporate, meaning that the ice crystals grow at the droplets' expense. These large crystals are an efficient source of precipitation, since they fall through the atmosphere due to their mass, and may collide and stick together in clusters, or aggregates. These aggregates are usually the type of ice particle that falls to the ground. Guinness World Records list the world's largest (aggregate) snowflakes as those of January 1887 at Fort Keogh, Montana; allegedly one measured 15 inches (38 cm) wide. Although this report by a farmer is doubtful, aggregates of three or four inches width have been observed. Single crystals the size of a dime have been observed. The exact details of the sticking mechanism remain controversial. Possibilities include mechanical interlocking, sintering, electrostatic attraction as well as the existence of a "sticky" liquid-like layer on the crystal surface. The individual ice

crystals often have hexagonal symmetry. Although the ice is clear, scattering of light by the crystal facets and hollows/imperfections mean that the crystals often appear white in color due to diffuse reflection of the whole spectrum of light by the small ice particles. The shape of the snowflake is determined broadly by the temperature and humidity at which it is formed. Rarely, at a temperature of around 2 C (28 F), snowflakes can form in threefold symmetry triangular snowflakes. The most common snow particles are visibly irregular, although nearperfect snowflakes may be more common in pictures because they are more visually appealing. It is unlikely that any two snowflakes are alike due to the 19 estimated 10 (10 quintillion) water molecules which make up a typical snowflake, which grow at different rates and in different patterns depending on the changing temperature and humidity within the atmosphere that the snowflake falls through on its way to the ground. Symmetry A non-aggregated snowflake often exhibits six-fold radial symmetry. The initial symmetry can occur because the crystalline structure of ice is six-fold. The six "arms" of the snowflake, or dendrites, then grow independently, and each side of each arm grows independently. Most snowflakes are not completely symmetric. The micro-environment in which the snowflake grows changes dynamically as the snowflake falls through the cloud, and tiny changes in temperature and humidity affect the way in which water molecules attach to the snowflake. Since the microenvironment (and its changes) are very nearly identical around the snowflake, each arm can grow in nearly the same way. However, being in the same microenvironment does not guarantee that each arm grows the same; indeed, for some crystal forms it does not because the underlying crystal growth mechanism also affects how fast each surface region of a crystal grows. Empirical studies suggest less than 0.1% of snowflakes exhibit the ideal six-fold symmetric shape. 1. ^ Jump up to: William J. Broad (2007-03-20). "Giant Snowflakes as Big as Frisbees? Could Be". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-07-12. 2. Jump up^ Jennifer E. Lawson (2001). Hands-on Science : Light, Physical Science (matter) - Chapter 5: The Colors of Light. Portage & Main Press. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-894110-63-1. Retrieved 2009-06-28. 3. Jump up^ Mason, Basil John. (1971). Physics of Clouds. Clarendon Press. ISBN 0-19-851603-7. 4. Jump up^ Christner, Brent Q.; Morris, Cindy E.; Foreman, Christine M.; Cai, Rongman; Sands, David C. (2007). "Ubiquity of Biological Ice Nucleators in Snowfall". Science 319 (5867): 1214. Bibcode:2008Sci...319.1214C. doi:10.1126/science.1149757.PMID 18309078. 5. Jump up^ Glossary of Meteorology (2009). "Cloud seeding". American Meteorological Society. Retrieved 2009-06-28. a b 6. ^ Jump up to: M. Klesius (2007). "The Mystery of Snowflakes". National Geographic 211 (1): 20. ISSN 0027-9358. 7. Jump up^ Jennifer E. Lawson (2001). Hands-on Science : Light, Physical Science (matter) Chapter 5: The Colors of Light. Portage & Main Press. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-894110-63-1. Retrieved 2009-06-28.
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8. Jump up^ Kenneth G. Libbrecht (2006-09-11). "Guide to Snowflakes". California Institute of Technology. Retrieved 2009-06-28. a b 9. ^ Jump up to: John Roach (2007-02-13). ""No Two Snowflakes the Same" Likely True, Research Reveals". National Geographic News. Retrieved 2009-07-14. 10. Jump up^ Kenneth Libbrecht (Winter 2004/2005). "Snowflake Science". American Educator. Retrieved 2010-10-19. 11. Jump up^ Nelson, Jon. "The Six-fold Nature of Snow". 12. Jump up^ Nelson, Jon. "Branch Growth and Sidebranching in Snow Crystals". 13. Jump up^ Bohannon, John. "ScienceShot: The True Shape of Snowflakes". ScienceNOW. American Association for the Advancement of Science. Retrieved 12 April 2013.

How big can snowflakes get? Snowflakes are accumulations of many snow crystals. Most snowflakes are less than 1.3 centimeters (0.5 inches) across. Under certain conditions, usually requiring near-freezing temperatures, light winds, and unstable atmospheric conditions, much larger and irregular flakes can form, nearing 5 centimeters (2 inches) across. No routine measure of snowflake dimensions are taken, so the exact size is not known. http://nsidc.org/cryosphere/snow/science/formation.html

Snow forms when the atmospheric temperature is at or below freezing (0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit) and there is a minimum amount of moisture in the air. If the ground temperature is at or below freezing, the snow will reach the ground. However, the snow can still reach the ground when the ground temperature is above freezing if the conditions are just right. In this case, snowflakes will begin to melt as they reach this higher temperature layer; the melting creates evaporative cooling which cools the air immediately around the snowflake. This cooling retards melting. As a general rule, though, snow will not form if the ground temperature is at least 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit). While it can be too warm to snow, it cannot be too cold to snow. Snow can occur even at incredibly low temperatures as long as there is some source of moisture and some way to lift or cool the air. It is true, however, that most heavy snowfalls occur when there is relatively warm air near the groundtypically -9 degrees Celsius (15 degrees Fahrenheit) or warmersince warmer air can hold more water vapor. Snow on the ground The character of the snow surface after a snowfall depends on the original form of the crystals and on the weather conditions present when the snow fell. For example, when a snowfall is accompanied by strong winds, the snow crystals are broken into smaller fragments that can become more densely packed. After a snowfall, snow may melt or evaporate, or it may persist for long periods. If snow persists on the ground, the texture, size, and shape of individual grains will change even while the snow temperature remains below freezing, or they may melt and refreeze over time, and will eventually become compressed by subsequent snowfalls. Over the winter season, the snowpack typically accumulates and develops a complex layered structure made up of a variety of snow grains, reflecting the weather and climate conditions prevailing at the time of deposition as well as changes within the snow cover over time.

http://earthsky.org/earth/how-do-snowflakes-get-their-shape 'Wet' snow vs. 'dry' snow The size and make up of a snowflake depends on how many ice crystals group together and this will be determined by air temperatures. Snowflakes that fall through dry, cool air will be small, powdery snowflakes that don't stick together. This 'dry' snow is ideal for snow sports but is more likely to drift in windy weather. When the temperature is slightly warmer than 0 C, the snowflakes will melt around the edges and stick together to become big, heavy flakes. This creates 'wet' snow which sticks together easily and is good for making snow men. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/snow/how-is-snow-formed What are common snowflake shapes?

Generally, six-sided hexagonal crystals are shaped in high clouds; needles or flat six-sided crystals are shaped in middle height clouds; and a wide variety of sixsided shapes are formed in low clouds. Colder temperatures produce snowflakes with sharper tips on the sides of the crystals and may lead to branching of the snowflake arms (dendrites). Snowflakes that grow under warmer conditions grow more slowly, resulting in smoother, less intricate shapes. 32-25 F - Thin hexagonal plates 25-21 F - Needles 21-14 F - Hollow columns 14-10 F - Sector plates (hexagons with indentations) 10-3 F - Dendrites (lacy hexagonal shapes) Why are snowflakes symmetrical (same on all sides)? First, not all snowflakes are the same on all sides. Uneven temperatures, presence of dirt, and other factors may cause a snowflake to be lop-sided. Yet it is true that many snowflakes are symmetrical and intricate. This is because a snowflake's shape reflects the internal order of the water molecules. Water molecules in the solid state, such as in ice and snow, form weak bonds (called hydrogen bonds) with one another. These ordered arrangements result in the symmetrical, hexagonal shape of the snowflake. During crystallization, the water molecules align themselves to maximize attractive forces and minimize repulsive forces. Consequently, water molecules arrange themselves in predetermined spaces and in a specific arrangement. Water molecules simply arrange themselves to fit the spaces and maintain symmetry. http://chemistry.about.com/od/moleculescompounds/a/snowflake.htm The oxygen atom has a particularly strong attraction to the electron clouds of the two hydrogen atoms and pulls them closer. This leaves the two hydrogen ends more positively charged, and the center of the V more negatively charged. When other water molecules brush up against this growing snowflake, strong forces between the negatively charged and positively charged parts of different particles cause them to join together in a very specific three-dimensional pattern with a sixsided symmetry. Each water molecule that joins the snowflake reflects this pattern until eventually we can see its macroscopic six-sided shape. Learner.org http://snowbrains.com/10-interesting-facts-about-snow/