Snow is a type of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by external pressure. Snowflakes come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Types which fall in the form of a ball due to melting and refreezing, rather than a flake, are known as graupel, with ice pellets and snow grains as examples of graupel. Snowfall amount and its related liquid equivalent precipitation amount are determined using a variety of different rain gauges.

The process of precipitating snow is called snowfall. Snowfall tends to form within regions of upward motion of air around a type of low-pressure system known as an extratropical cyclone. Snow can fall poleward of their associated warm fronts and within their comma head precipitation patterns, which is called such due to its comma-like shape of the cloud and precipitation pattern around the poleward and west sides of extratropical cyclones. Where relatively warm water bodies are present, for example due to water evaporation from lakes, lake-effect snowfall becomes a concern downwind of the warm lakes within the cold cyclonic flow around the backside of extratropical cyclones. Lake-effect snowfall can be locally heavy. Thundersnow is possible within a cyclone's comma head and within lake effect precipitation bands. In mountainous areas, heavy snow is possible where upslope flow is maximized within windward sides of the terrain at elevation, if the atmosphere is cold enough.

Snow

Snow is so much more than a type of precipitation in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds, but complicates and blesses our lives in a number of ways, giving rise to both frustration and romance.

Sourced

• When men were all asleep the snow came flying, In large white flakes falling on the city brown, Stealthily and perpetually settling and loosely lying, Hushing the latest traffic of the drowsy town.
  • Robert Bridges, London Snow, (1890) l. 1-4 .

• The Hyla breed That shouted in the mist a month ago, Like ghost of sleigh-bells in a ghost of snow.
  • Robert Frost, Hyla Brook (1920).

• The way a crow Shook down on me The dust of snow From a hemlock tree

  Has given my heart A change of mood And saved some part Of a day I had rued.

  • Robert Frost, Dust of Snow (1923)

• If, as they say, some dust thrown in my eyes Will keep my talk from getting overwise, I'm not the one for putting off the proof. Let it be overwhelming, off a roof And round a corner, blizzard snow for dust, And blind me to a standstill if it must.
  • Robert Frost, Dust in the Eyes (1928)

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Mon Sep 6 19:27:15 2010