Snow

Snowflakes have diverse shapes, most commonly flat hexagonal crystals. The main characteristics of snow: thickness, density, water content. Snow mainly falls during winter in the Northern Hemisphere. However, in some regions it falls all year round, for example, in Antarctica, on some mountain peaks. Snow is also considered a symbol of the New Year and winter.

Snow plays a major role in the national economy, helping winter crops survive the winter without freezing, and allowing spring moisture to accumulate in the soil. Snow packing and other agricultural practices are carried out in winter to preserve soil moisture. In addition, various sports are also carried out on thick snow, for example, skiing.

Snow has high reflectivity (albedo), which helps regulate Earth's temperature by reflecting sunlight. Fresh snow can reflect up to 90% of solar radiation. It also has strong insulating properties, protecting the soil and vegetation from extreme cold.

Depending on temperature, humidity, and wind, snow can vary greatly in texture and structure. Common types include powder snow, wet snow, granular snow, and firn (old, compacted snow that eventually forms glacial ice).

Snow cover plays a key role in the Earth's climate system by influencing temperature and water cycles. It provides fresh water during spring melts and affects plant and animal habitats, especially in mountainous and polar regions.

In many cultures, snow symbolizes purity, calm, and renewal. It often appears in art, literature, and music as a metaphor for silence or transformation. Festivals and traditions, such as Japan’s “Snow Festival” in Sapporo, celebrate its beauty.

Snow forms when microscopic water droplets in the cloud adhere to dust particles and freeze. The ice crystals formed in this process initially measure no more than 0.1 mm in diameter, but as they fall to the ground, they grow larger as a result of condensation of moisture from the air and fall to the ground as the snow we know. At the same time, hexagonal crystal shapes are formed. Due to the structure of water molecules, crystal angles can only be 60° and 120°. The main crystal of water has the shape of a regular hexagon in the plane. New crystals attach to the ends of such hexagons, layer upon layer, forming various star-shaped snowflakes.

At high temperatures, the crystals undergo several vertical movements in the atmosphere, partially melting and recrystallizing. As a result, the regular structure of the crystals is disrupted, forming irregular shapes. The crystallization of all six ends of the crystal occurs simultaneously and under almost identical conditions, due to which the rays of the crystals are similar.

The white color of snow is due to the presence of air in it. Light waves are reflected and scattered by ice crystals and the air surfaces they touch, but snow can also be of different colors, depending on its chemical composition.

Snow consists of 95% air, which accounts for its low density (100–400 kg/m³) and relatively slow descent speed (0.9 km/h).

The largest snowflake ever recorded fell on January 28, 1887, at Fort Keogh, Montana, USA; the snowflake measured approximately 38 × 20 cm. The average snowflake measures about 5 mm in diameter and weighs approximately 0.004 g.

• The Inuit language has over a dozen words describing different types of snow.
• The world’s snowiest place is Aomori City in Japan, which receives about 8 meters of snow annually.
• Each snowflake is unique — no two are exactly alike in structure.

In conclusion, snow is more than just frozen water. It plays a vital role in the Earth's climate system, supports ecosystems, influences human life, and inspires countless cultural traditions. Its beauty and importance make it one of nature’s most remarkable phenomena.