Jason E. Andersen

Bonus Fun Fact: Snowflakes are not merely frozen droplets of water — that’s what freezing rain or sleet would be considered. No, snowflakes are formed from a much more subtle and special process! Snowflakes are formed when super-cooled water vapor comes in contact with dust or pollen particles that are suspended in the atmosphere. This tiny crystal then attracts more water vapor, growing into a snowflake!

Bonus Bonus Fun Fact: Do you notice a pattern in the among the above snowflakes? They all have six arms, or, as a geometry major would say, they’re hexagonal. That’s not by random chance! When water freezes, the water molecules are forced into a hexagonal shape, forming a hexagonal ring. This ring of water molecules, much like a ring for fingers, has a lot of space in the middle. This is why water expands when it freezes, because the molecules themselves freeze in a way that takes up more space. Amazing!