Some folks love to watch falling snow from a comfortable spot by a window. Kids think it’s awesome and can’t wait to go outside and play; for those who have long driveways — the arrival of snow announces hours of working outdoors with a snow blower and shovel. Folks who’ve never seen snow wish they could and those who live with the frigid stuff dream of warmer places. Continuous snow accumulation often compels some people to rearrange daily activities.
Snow
Snow is composed of tiny crystals of frozen water that form in the atmosphere. Snow begins to fall as soon as the earth surface temperature is above freezing while the atmospheric temperature is below freezing.
Snowflake Size
A flake is a very large bunch of snow crystals. When weather temperatures hover near 32 degrees, and light winds and variable atmospheric conditions exist, larger snowflakes will form. No one keeps continuous records of flake size, so the exact size of the largest flake is unknown.
Color
Snow is a natural material and, as such, absorbs sunlight which is white. Snow reflects most of the sunlight that it absorbs and looks white.
Temperature Effect
It’s never too cold or too warm to snow. Snow may fall during periods of extreme cold as well as when temperatures rise above freezing. Snow falls when moist air lifts up into atmospheric temperatures that are lower than 32 degrees.