Stories in the Snow involves…. Our goals in the project are to engage students in inquiry-based learning on the basics of snow science through data collection and fun, hands-on STEM lessons related to meteorology and climatology. Citizen science involves everyday people in scientific inquiry to answer real-world questions. Stories in the Snow is a simple and fun way to involve people who love snow in growing their enthusiasm for science!  

The science behind the project “Ingredients” to form snow: Dust particle (ash, pollen, soot, etc.) Supercooled water droplets Conditions of temperature and humidity are the key factors in determining snow crystal shape. How is a snow crystal formed? Basic. Let’s begin with how snow forms inside of the clouds. The temperature in the atmosphere needs to be below freezing, and it all starts with very tiny particles found in the air, such as dust, pollen, volcanic ash, and even small particles of meteors. Water molecules begin to freeze on the surface of the particles, and as the particles are tossed around in the cloud, they begin to collect more water molecules, which attach to the existing crystal in a hexagonal shape. Wonderopolis, 2010. http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-are-all-snowflakes-different EarthSky, 2010. How does snow form inside clouds? http://earthsky.org/earth/how-does-snow-form-inside-clouds-2

Snowflake Formation Snow crystals grow from water vapor directly to ice in the atmosphere, skipping the liquid water phase. It turns out temperature and humidity in the zone where snowflakes form are critical to determining the type of snow crystal that develops. If temperatures are below zero, plates and columns form. At 5 degrees above zero, large beautiful stellar dendrites and hexagonal plates magically appear.

Hexagonal Plates & Sectored Plates Simple Plates and Prisms Small snow crystals are often faceted, looking like thin hexagonal plates or blocky hexagonal prisms. Although smaller than the head of a pin, each of these tiny crystals is decorated with unique surface patterns. Sectored Plates Hexagonal plates and broad-branched stellar plates are often decorated with ridges that appear to divide each crystal or its branches into sectors. These snow crystal forms are called sectored plates. Good specimens can be hard to find, although ridges are a common feature on many snowflakes.

Hexagonal Plates & Sectored Plates Simple Plates and Prisms Small snow crystals are often faceted, looking like thin hexagonal plates or blocky hexagonal prisms. Although smaller than the head of a pin, each of these tiny crystals is decorated with unique surface patterns. Sectored Plates Hexagonal plates and broad-branched stellar plates are often decorated with ridges that appear to divide each crystal or its branches into sectors. These snow crystal forms are called sectored plates. Good specimens can be hard to find, although ridges are a common feature on many snowflakes. Simple Plates and Prisms Small snow crystals are often faceted, looking like thin hexagonal plates or blocky hexagonal prisms. Although smaller than the head of a pin, each of these tiny crystals is decorated with unique surface patterns. Sectored Plates Hexagonal plates and broad-branched stellar plates are often decorated with ridges that appear to divide each crystal or its branches into sectors. These snow crystal forms are called sectored plates. Good specimens can be hard to find, although ridges are a common feature on many snowflakes.

Stellar dendrites & fernlike stellar dendrites Stellar dendrites: ("dendrite" means tree-like). Stellar dendrites are also quite large and common, so they are readily spotted on your sleeve, especially if you are wearing a dark fabric. These complex shapes appear when the humidity is high Fernlike stellar dendrites: These crystals are like Stellar Dendrites (above), but larger and leafier, with many sidebranches that resemble the branches of a fern. If you look carefully, you will see that the sidebranches mostly run parallel to their neighboring branches. You will also see that these crystals are not perfectly symmetrical. The sidebranches on one arm are not the same as those on the other branches.

Stellar dendrites & fernlike stellar dendrites Stellar dendrites: ("dendrite" means tree-like). Stellar dendrites are also quite large and common, so they are readily spotted on your sleeve, especially if you are wearing a dark fabric. These complex shapes appear when the humidity is high Fernlike stellar dendrites: These crystals are like Stellar Dendrites (above), but larger and leafier, with many sidebranches that resemble the branches of a fern. If you look carefully, you will see that the sidebranches mostly run parallel to their neighboring branches. You will also see that these crystals are not perfectly symmetrical. The sidebranches on one arm are not the same as those on the other branches. Stellar dendrites: ("dendrite" means tree-like). Stellar dendrites are also quite large and common, so they are readily spotted on your sleeve, especially if you are wearing a dark fabric. These complex shapes appear when the humidity is high Fernlike stellar dendrites: These crystals are like Stellar Dendrites (above), but larger and leafier, with many sidebranches that resemble the branches of a fern. If you look carefully, you will see that the sidebranches mostly run parallel to their neighboring branches. You will also see that these crystals are not perfectly symmetrical. The sidebranches on one arm are not the same as those on the other branches.

Columns, needles & Capped columns Columns and needles: Columnar snow crystals appear when the temperature is around -6 C (21 F),  "Hollow columns" have conical hollow regions in both ends, as shown in the drawing and several of the examples.   Capped columns: A capped column forms when it travels through different temperatures as it grows. First a column forms (around -6 C, or 21 F), and then plates grow on the ends of the columns (around -15 C, or 5 F). Next time it snows, consider it a challenge to get a magnifier, go outside, and see if you can spot some capped columns!

Columns, needles & Capped columns Columns and needles: Columnar snow crystals appear when the temperature is around -6 C (21 F),  "Hollow columns" have conical hollow regions in both ends, as shown in the drawing and several of the examples.   Capped columns: A capped column forms when it travels through different temperatures as it grows. First a column forms (around -6 C, or 21 F), and then plates grow on the ends of the columns (around -15 C, or 5 F). Next time it snows, consider it a challenge to get a magnifier, go outside, and see if you can spot some capped columns! Columns and needles: Columnar snow crystals appear when the temperature is around -6 C (21 F),  "Hollow columns" have conical hollow regions in both ends, as shown in the drawing and several of the examples.   Capped columns: A capped column forms when it travels through different temperatures as it grows. First a column forms (around -6 C, or 21 F), and then plates grow on the ends of the columns (around -15 C, or 5 F). Next time it snows, consider it a challenge to get a magnifier, go outside, and see if you can spot some capped columns!

Diamond dust & triangular crystals Diamond crust crystals: they are the smallest snow crystals; many are no larger than the diameter of a human hair. They are most often seen in bitter cold weather.  The basic ice crystal shape is that of a hexagonal prism, governed by crystal faceting. One panel on the right shows a group of small laboratory-grown crystals that are nearly perfect simple hexagonal prisms.   Triangular crystals: It appears that aerodynamical effects help produce these unusual snow crystals. They are typically small, shaped like truncated triangles. Sometimes branches sprout from the six corners, yielding an unusual symmetry.

Diamond dust & triangular crystals Diamond crust crystals: they are the smallest snow crystals; many are no larger than the diameter of a human hair. They are most often seen in bitter cold weather.  The basic ice crystal shape is that of a hexagonal prism, governed by crystal faceting. One panel on the right shows a group of small laboratory-grown crystals that are nearly perfect simple hexagonal prisms.   Triangular crystals: It appears that aerodynamical effects help produce these unusual snow crystals. They are typically small, shaped like truncated triangles. Sometimes branches sprout from the six corners, yielding an unusual symmetry. Diamond crust crystals: they are the smallest snow crystals; many are no larger than the diameter of a human hair. They are most often seen in bitter cold weather.  The basic ice crystal shape is that of a hexagonal prism, governed by crystal faceting. One panel on the right shows a group of small laboratory-grown crystals that are nearly perfect simple hexagonal prisms.   Triangular crystals: It appears that aerodynamical effects help produce these unusual snow crystals. They are typically small, shaped like truncated triangles. Sometimes branches sprout from the six corners, yielding an unusual symmetry.

Twelve-branched snowflakes & Rimed snowflakes and graupel Twelve-branched snowflakes: If two small six-branched snow crystals collide in mid-air, they might stick together and grow into a twelve-branched snowflake.    Rimed snowflakes and graupel: Snow crystals grow inside clouds made of water droplets. Often a snow crystal will collide with some water droplets, which freeze onto the ice. These droplets are called rime. A snow crystal might have no rime, a few rime droplets, quite a few, and sometimes the crystals are completely covered with rime. Blobs of rime are called graupel, or soft hail.

Twelve-branched snowflakes & Rimed snowflakes and graupel Twelve-branched snowflakes: If two small six-branched snow crystals collide in mid-air, they might stick together and grow into a twelve-branched snowflake.    Rimed snowflakes and graupel: Snow crystals grow inside clouds made of water droplets. Often a snow crystal will collide with some water droplets, which freeze onto the ice. These droplets are called rime. A snow crystal might have no rime, a few rime droplets, quite a few, and sometimes the crystals are completely covered with rime. Blobs of rime are called graupel, or soft hail. Twelve-branched snowflakes: If two small six-branched snow crystals collide in mid-air, they might stick together and grow into a twelve-branched snowflake.    Rimed snowflakes and graupel: Snow crystals grow inside clouds made of water droplets. Often a snow crystal will collide with some water droplets, which freeze onto the ice. These droplets are called rime. A snow crystal might have no rime, a few rime droplets, quite a few, and sometimes the crystals are completely covered with rime. Blobs of rime are called graupel, or soft hail.