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Did you know? Seven facts about snow

01:00 PM
December 31, 2023

Did you know?
Seven facts about snow

Mount RainierMount Rainer is visible from Seattle. - © Daniel Schwen, Wikipedia

From myth busters on Earth to findings on Mars, here are seven facts you may not know about snow.

1. The snowiest place in the U.S.

It will be no surprise to anyone, but the snowiest places sits on a mountain — technically a volcano. Washington's Mount Rainier averages 645.5 inches of snow per year. Rainier is about 59 miles south-southeast Seattle and is visible from the Emerald City on clear day.

2. Deepest snow?

The deepest snow ever recorded in the U.S. was in Tamarack, Calif., in 1911. The snow depth was 451 inches or 37.5 feet. This is located in the Sierra Nevada.

3. Snow isn't white

It's actually totally clear! Although snowflakes appear white, ice is translucent, meaning light only passes through indirectly, so diffuse reflection through the many sides of the ice crystals causes it to seem white in color.

4. How fast?

Snow falls at an average speed of 1 to 4 mph, taking around an hour to reach the ground. If any snowflakes become supercooled, and heavier, they can fall a little faster than your regular snowflake.

5. It's never too cold to snow!

It can never be too cold, but it can be too dry!

6. Snow on Mars

According to NASA, during the summer in the north of the planet there could be violent snow storms. With clouds and subsurface ice detected on Mars, snow is certainly plausible.

Scientists also found a cloud of carbon dioxide snowflakes over the southern pole of Mars.

7. Dust must be present

The cold water droplet needs to have dust or pollen particles to freeze onto in the sky to create an ice crystal.

Weather & Radar USA editorial team
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