Snow is defined as "precipitation in the form of small white ice crystals formed directly from the water vapor of the air at a temperature of less than 32°F."
Lately, I've been appreciating the different kinds of snow.... in Ohio, snow is usually the icy, heavy variety that's accompanied by strong winds.
Up North snow has been different. Most often it's fluffy, cotton-candy stuff consisting of large clumps that drift down noiselessly onto the white blanket laying on the ground. When the winds kick up, it changes into tiny little snowflakes that quickly skitter around into drifts along the road. These pin-dots of snow fill the air, and seem too tiny to be able to accumulate much..... then, before you know it, inches have fallen and roads become slippery.
Here are some snow tips:
- The fluffiest snow usually occurs around 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Ten inches of fresh snow can contain as little as 0.10 inches of water and as much as 4 inches of water, depending on crystal structure, wind speed, temperature, and other factors.
- A single snowstorm can drop 40 million tons of snow, carrying the energy equivalent to 120 atom bombs.
- The Guinness Book of Records lists the largest snowflake at 15 inches across, a record held in Keogh, Montana, USA, since 1887.
Pretty pictures!
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