When water freezes inside clouds, ice crystals form. Ice crystals are crystals that have formed around tiny bits of dirt that have been carried up into the atmosphere by the wind. The ice crystals join together creating snowflakes.

All snowflakes have six sides.

Scientists believe that there are five different shapes of snow crystals. A long needle shape, hollow column that is shaped like a six-sided prism, thin and flat six-sided plates, six-pointed stars, and intricate dendrites.

The shape that a snow crystal will take depends on the temperature at which it was formed. When the temperature is around 32F to 25F, thin six-sided plates are formed. At 25F to 21F, long needle shapes are formed. At 21F to 14F, hollow columns are formed. At 14F to 10F, six-point stars are formed. At 10F to 3F, dendrites are formed.

The colder it is outside, the smaller the snowflakes fall.

The fluffiest snow falls at temperatures around 15F.

Snow is actually transparent. Snow appears white because the crystals act as prisms, breaking oup the light of the sun into the entire spectrum of color.

The largest snowflake recorded was fifteen inches in diameter.

Most snowflakes are less than one half inch across.