Flurries & Flakes


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DECEMBER 05, 2020

YOUR WEEKLY DOSE OF WOWZERS AND WONDER FROM THE NATURAL WORLD

Hello everyone!

If you live in an area with four regular seasons, snow is easy to dismiss as an annual annoyance.

But take the time to look closely, and snow is fascinating. It’s so much more than frozen water.

Let’s get frosty!

INTRODUCING

Snow!

Snow… so pretty, so cold, so simple. Or is it?

At first glance, snow might seem pretty simple.

When cold air and water mix, you get snow, right?

Not quite.

The air must get cold enough to freeze as vapour in the clouds before it starts falling to the ground.

If it freezes after it has started falling, you might get ice, sleet, graupel, freezing fog, hail, or any other number of other frozen precipitation types instead of snow.

So how cold does the air need to be to make snow?

Well… the best temperature for snow is between about 0 °C (32 °F) and −40 °C (−40 °F).

Snowflakes often start forming when vapour sticks to dust in a cloud.

The vapour freezes, forming crystal faces — six of them to be exact.

When more vapour begins to freeze on the surface of the ice crystals, they get heavy enough to fall from the clouds.

Voila! A snowflake is created!

But snow isn’t just fun…

It’s also a critical part of regulating global temperatures. While the snow lays there waiting to be turned into a friendly snowman, it’s also cooling the ground and air around it.

An estimated 68% of the world’s supply of freshwater stays trapped in ice and snow. This makes snowfall a critical part of life on Earth!

WOWZERFUL FACTS

There are over 120 different snowflake shape classifications — not counting the different individual shapes in each group!

The first photo of a snowflake was taken in February of 1865 by Wilson Alwyn Bentley. The Jericho Historical Society has preserved many of his photographs, making it possible to view them online!

Snow isn’t actually white. Snow, like its larger cousin ice, is clear. However, when piled together, the light reflects off all of the tiny surfaces in the cluster of snowflakes, making them appear white. In some areas, it can even appear blue or red due to algae.

Each year in the U.S. alone, more than one septillion ice crystals fall from the sky! That’s 24 zeroes!

Students at ASME Michigan Technical University hold the record for the world’s largest snowball. Rolled in 2013, it measured 3.2 m across (10.45 ft) and 3.28 m (9.28 ft) tall!

In January 2014, Guy Martin reached a top speed of 134.368 km/h (83.49 mph) on a snow sled! Now that’s a big hill!

Make your own unique 6-sided snowflakes with common art supplies!

Craft Daily | YouTube

Linkworthy

Some cool stuff from around the web we think you and your kids will enjoy.

WATCH

Animals with Winter Coats

You have coats and heaters. But how do animals big and small keep warm during cold winters?

SciShow Kids | YouTube

CREATE

Turn Nature into Art

Scattered fall leaves transform into beautiful designs with the help of a few basic art supplies.

Happy Hooligans

WATCH

A Crash Course on The Sun

The sun is so much more than an orange ball in the sky! Here are some fun sun facts!

Crash Course Kids | YouTube

EXPLORE

Nature is Everywhere

Nature is all around you, even in a city. Check out these crazy bug photos from Amsterdam!

Scientific American

EAT

Peanut Butter Bear Snacks

Packed with protein and potassium, these bear snacks are great fuel for a day of exploration.

H-E-B

STREAM

Bring the Outdoors In

Unwind during rainy days or after a day of exploration by watching jellyfish bob and flow.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium

OVERHEARD

“
To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold.

— Aristotle

THAT’S FUNNY

What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?

Frostbite

Until next week…

We hope this peek at snow offers a fresh perspective on this truly Wowzerful form of winter precipitation. Stay warm, and we’ll see you in a week!

– Wowzerful

Today’s email was written by Joshua J. with contributions by Branden S. and Geoff W.
Joshua J. is a father of two and homeschooling for the first time this year. He loved the idea of this newsletter and hopes to share some of the Wowzerful discoveries he’s made while creating a science curriculum for his own kids.

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Snow… so pretty, so cold, so simple. Or is it?

Make your own unique 6-sided snowflakes with common art supplies!

“To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold.

We want to hear from you.

“
To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold.