Scottsdale Health December 2019

crazy 8s
While it may not occur in Scottsdale,
snow is a large part of winter for many
people in America. Whether its setting the
ambiance when you’re by the fire at a cabin
in Flagstaff, or supporting your outdoor
adventure fix on the slopes out of state,
the winter weather act is both magical
and mysterious. Here are eight facts about
snow that just might give you the chills.
Crazy Facts
About Snow
1. Winter white?
Contrary to
popular belief,
snow isn’t actual
white. Technically
translucent, we
see snow as white
because of the way
light bends and
reflects.
2. Center secret.
The center of almost
every snow crystal
contains a speck of
dust.
3. Naming storms.
It may be a common
term, but not every
big snowstorm is
considered a blizzard.
Qualifications of
a blizzard include
winds blowing at 35
mph and reduced
visibility to less than
a quarter mile for at
least three hours.
4. Too many to
count. It’s estimated
that over 1 septillion
ice crystals fall from
the sky each winter
in the United States.
5. Snow beginnings.
Snow forms when
water vapor in the
atmosphere freezes
into ice crystals.
6. Color me
surprised. There has
been reports of red,
yellow, and black
snow, likely with
pollen, dust, or ash
as the cause.
7. Size story. The
Guinness World
Records book
chronicled the largest
snowflake ever
recorded, measuring
15 inches wide. It
was found in Fort
Keogh, Montana, in
1887.
8. Two of a kind.
Though the saying
goes that no two
snowflakes are alike,
that’s not the case.
Scientists reportedly
found identical snow
crystals and many
crystals are similar in
their early stages of
growth.
40 ScottsdaleHealth 12/19