Snow softens, silences, slows, suspends.  There is a quietness, a deliberateness as the swirling flakes pass through the world on their way to whatever is topmost in their path.

The simplest snowflake is a six-sided prism with two basal facets and six prism facets.  Depending on how this most basic snowflake develops, it can be long and narrow or short and squat.  As it grows, it can vary greatly in shape and size.  Temperature and humidity determine the type of snowflakes that develop.  The higher the humidity, the more complex the snowflakes.   The diagram shows how these variables affect the type of snowflake created. (The prism graphic and chart are from a Caltech website.)

You can get a good look at snowflakes by using some black felt or construction paper and a magnifying glass.  When it begins to snow, place the felt or paper on the ground.  As snow collects on the material or paper, study them through the magnifying glass, taking note of similarities and differences.

You can also preserve snowflakes to study them in greater detail and, if your heart desires, pull them out on the hottest days of summer!  Here’s what you need:

• a flat piece of glass or glass microscope slides
• a can of plastic spray (Krylon Spary Coating)
• ice crystal identification chart
• magnifying glass
• a box big enough to contain the glass

Here’s what you do:

1. Clean off the piece of glass.
2. Chill the spray and piece of glass in the refrigerator or in the cold outside.
3. When it snows, bring your materials outside and spray the glass lightly with the plastic spray.
4. Catch a few snowflakes on the glass, then quickly put the glass in the box to keep too many large flakes from crowding the ones you’ve already collected.
5. Go inside and let the slides or glass sit in the box for 15 minutes without touching it.

The snowflakes will melt, but their shape will remain for as long as you keep the glass.  (From a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website)

Tags: Activities, Now in Nature