
Snowflakes are crystals of pure ice, clear and colorless. When clouds are very cold, water vapor freezes directly into ice crystals, not as rain drops. Many crystals join together and float down as a snowflake. Some snowflakes have over 100 crystals. Individual crystals falling on their own are too tiny to see. Snow looks white and sparkly because light reflects off all the surfaces of the ice crystals and blends together.
Each snowflake in the world has its own unique design. The air temperature determines the shape. Snowflakes have six sides (and sometimes 12) because water molecules line up in this repeating pattern when they freeze. They can form as stars, hollow columns, plates with flat sides or other types. Starting out as hexagons, they may sprout branches as they grow. Stellar dendrites are star-shaped snowflakes with tree-like arms.
Take a close look at snowflakes and you’ll be dazzled. To see their beauty, catch them in the air or as they land. Walking across snow you hear the snap and pop as you break the crystals and trapped air escapes from inside.