Snowflakes are such amazing little things that fall from the sky and no two are alike! The fact is, every snowflake is different and their shape and size is determined by scientific factors.
Did you know that the size and shape of snowflakes is predetermined based on the cloud temperatures and humidity? If the cloud temperatures are between 25 and 32 degrees, snowflakes will be shaped as thin hexagonal stars and plates.
If they are between 21 and 25 degrees, expect needle-like snowflakes. For cloud temperatures ranging from 14 to 21 degrees, snowflakes will be hollow columns.
As the temperatures get lower, you’ll see shapes of plates, stars (called dendrites) and columns. Sector plates require temperatures of 10 to 14 degrees, while star-shaped snowflakes form when cloud temperatures are between 3 to 10-degrees. Anything below that, snowflakes will be plates and columns.
In comparison to raindrops – snowflakes fall at a much slower pace. The average raindrop falls at a whopping 32 feet per second! Snowflakes on the other hand, only fall between 1 and 6 feet per second. The reason for this is that snowflakes are very lightweight and have a fairly large surface area.
This makes them act similarly to how a parachute operates.
On top of being tiny parachutes, they are susceptible to getting caught in updrafts that slow, halt or even lift them back higher. These factors all affect the pace and time it will take them to finally land on the ground below.
As you can see, it’s easy to see why no two snowflakes are alike. Each individual snowflake takes a different path as it falls from the sky. As a result, the atmospheric conditions along their path bring different sized and shaped snowflakes.
There are times where when identical twin snowflakes have been seen by the naked eye – but once under a more intense examination, the small variations in them are clear. Hence – no two snowflakes are ever alike!
