The complete guide to snowflakes...

[Sunshine]

Guide to Snowflakes

A Guide to Snowflakes
... A look at the different types of falling snow ...

If you look closely at falling snow, you can see a great many different crystal shapes. There's a lot more to see than you might think!


The table at right shows the more common and/or distinctive types of snowflakes. Click on the table for a more detailed look, then scroll down this page for examples of the different types.




This page is an abbreviated version of my Field Guide to Snowflakes.

Interesting read.

 

[jwoodie]

Thanks!

 

[Mr. H.]

 

[SmedlyButler]

Guide to Snowflakes

A Guide to Snowflakes
... A look at the different types of falling snow ...

If you look closely at falling snow, you can see a great many different crystal shapes. There's a lot more to see than you might think!

The table at right shows the more common and/or distinctive types of snowflakes. Click on the table for a more detailed look, then scroll down this page for examples of the different types.

This page is an abbreviated version of my Field Guide to Snowflakes.

Interesting read.

I posted this in another thread a few weeks ago;

Because of the simple molecular structure of a water molecule (two hydrogen atoms “attached” to an oxygen atom at an angle of 104.5 degrees) a snowflake is a hexagonal crystal lattice structure. Billions form and fall during a single snowstorm, every one unique. Just imagine how many have fallen since the hydrologic cycle began billions of years ago, the Universe giving us a billion trillion singular objects of absolute stunning joy. And with such generous abandon, very few seen by the human eye. Our ancestors didn't have microscopes to view them in detail. Still every human being alive would instantly recognize their intricate grandeur. The religious would probably call every single one a gift from god. (I think hmm... maybe God designed them for his own pleasure not ours...just before I give my head a shake.-being a confirmed agnostic)

 

[Sunshine]

Guide to Snowflakes

A Guide to Snowflakes
... A look at the different types of falling snow ...

If you look closely at falling snow, you can see a great many different crystal shapes. There's a lot more to see than you might think!

The table at right shows the more common and/or distinctive types of snowflakes. Click on the table for a more detailed look, then scroll down this page for examples of the different types.

This page is an abbreviated version of my Field Guide to Snowflakes.

Interesting read.

I posted this in another thread a few weeks ago;

Because of the simple molecular structure of a water molecule (two hydrogen atoms “attached” to an oxygen atom at an angle of 104.5 degrees) a snowflake is a hexagonal crystal lattice structure. Billions form and fall during a single snowstorm, every one unique. Just imagine how many have fallen since the hydrologic cycle began billions of years ago, the Universe giving us a billion trillion singular objects of absolute stunning joy. And with such generous abandon, very few seen by the human eye. Our ancestors didn't have microscopes to view them in detail. Still every human being alive would instantly recognize their intricate grandeur. The religious would probably call every single one a gift from god. (I think hmm... maybe God designed them for his own pleasure not ours...just before I give my head a shake.-being a confirmed agnostic)

[MENTION=46872]SmedlyButler[/MENTION]

I have found my studies in things at the molecular level to be most interesting. When I was studying psychopharmacology, I applied myself to the study of the medications at the cellular level. Consequently, I was very good at getting the right medication for each individual patient. Also, there are a couple of psych med which I simply refused to prescribe. I don't really feel at liberty to say on a message board what those are, though. I'm glad I lived after the invention of the microscope. I'm sure there is more to see in the infinitely small if we just had the equipment with which to see it.

There is a book, the Molecular Foundation of Psychiatry. I believe that is the name. I don't have any books here with me, but if you like studying things at that level, you might enjoy it.

It is true that we can't see the snowflake with the naked eye. But in the winter, the thing I enjoyed most as a child was the frost on the storm windows. That has a definite pattern and, like the snowflake, it is never the same. There are a lot of those pics on Google. Each winter as a child I was always excited when my mother woke me up and said, 'Jack Frost came and painted the windows last night.'

Well, I've chosen the life of a 'snowbird' this year, and am down on the Gulf this winter, but I live on a lake at home and in the winter there is enough moisture in the air to coat the trees where I live with a layer of 'hoarfrost.' That is a fairly infrequent phenomenon, but where I live it is quite common because of the moisture from the lake. I miss that.

 

[Mr. H.]

If you collect a bunch of snow, melt it, then drag a magnet through the liquid, you'll collect a bunch of metallic flakes. This is the shit that streaks through our atmosphere from space every day.


Sent from my ass using USMessageBoard.com

 

[SmedlyButler]

Maintaining that sense of childhood wonder helps these old bones feel young at times. You're right, hoarfrost is another of nature's sublimes. It was fairly common where I lived as a youth.

 

[SmedlyButler]

If you collect a bunch of snow, melt it, then drag a magnet through the liquid, you'll collect a bunch of metallic flakes. This is the shit that streaks through our atmosphere from space every day.


Sent from my ass using USMessageBoard.com

From NOAA;

"Q: How are snowflakes formed?

A: A snowflake begins to form when an extremely cold water droplet freezes onto a pollen or dust particle in the sky. This creates an ice crystal. As the ice crystal falls to the ground, water vapor freezes onto the primary crystal, building new crystals – the six arms of the snowflake."

 

[Mr. H.]

Yup. Dust pollen, space speckles, whatever.

Hey, you're not related to Miles Cowperthwaite are you?

 

[SmedlyButler]

Yup. Dust pollen, space speckles, whatever.

Hey, you're not related to Miles Cowperthwaite are you?

No, don't believe so, but family legends do abound regarding my great great great Grand Papa Rodney Cowperthwaite, who they say was a heavy drinker and a magnate for misfortune while in his cups. I remember one story in particular. (this event occurred when PaPa Rodney was travelling the mid-west selling Cracker Barrel cheese from the Oregon Territory) This story recounts why Mrs. O'Leary was so distracted in her barn that night and the particularly dire consequences of Papa's copious intake of the spirits and his inability to contain his lust for such well-endowed examples of the female form as Madame O'Leary. It also illustrates his irresistible hypnotic-like effect on the fairer sex. It is too long a tale to relate in this space but I can assure you this is only one of the fantastic episodes in Papa's long and eventful life.

 

[Flanders]

Guide to Snowflakes

A Guide to Snowflakes
... A look at the different types of falling snow ...

To Sunshine. Thanks. Your thread brought back memories of my youth.

When I was a kid (before television) I used to wear a dark blue coat in the winter. Whenever it snowed out I would go stand in front of the tavern on the corner and watch snowflakes land on my coat sleeve and slowly melt. They were beautifully colored by the neon lights from the tavern. I, and my pals, were sure no two were alike. It was better than a kaleidoscope. To this day watching snowflakes land on a dark background is still better than anything you’ll ever see on television.

 

[Mr. H.]

Yup. Dust pollen, space speckles, whatever.

Hey, you're not related to Miles Cowperthwaite are you?

No, don't believe so, but family legends do abound regarding my great great great Grand Papa Rodney Cowperthwaite, who they say was a heavy drinker and a magnate for misfortune while in his cups. I remember one story in particular. (this event occurred when PaPa Rodney was travelling the mid-west selling Cracker Barrel cheese from the Oregon Territory) This story recounts why Mrs. O'Leary was so distracted in her barn that night and the particularly dire consequences of Papa's copious intake of the spirits and his inability to contain his lust for such well-endowed examples of the female form as Madame O'Leary. It also illustrates his irresistible hypnotic-like effect on the fairer sex. It is too long a tale to relate in this space but I can assure you this is only one of the fantastic episodes in Papa's long and eventful life.

Smedley, bring the Roles around front. Mum and I are late for tea.