What is snow and why does it crunch when you walk on it?

Snow is a form of precipitation that we have in the colder climates. It's made up of crystals that fall from the clouds. So, where do they become snowflakes and why do we have snow? It's all in the clouds. It takes the right temperature, the right amount of water vapor, and a piece of the dirt that is inside the cloud to make a snowflake. Each snowflake is made up of up to thousands of ice crystals. Wow, right? 

Did you know that snowflakes are six sided? They may not be exactly the same but they all have six sides. Snowflakes come down in different shapes and may attach to another snow crystal as it falls. 

So why do we hear a crunching sound when we walk on the snow? It's all in the air that is inside the snowflake. When we walk, we press down on the snowflake which causes the air to move and make the sound we hear. I find it fun to walk on snow and listen to the sounds of the snow.

Most snowflakes are less than 0.5 inches across. If weather conditions are unsteady, snowflakes can grow up to 2 inches across. The snowflakes I have seen have been very small. They are such fun to see. When the snowfall is light and fluffy, you can see the snowflakes sitting on top. Have you noticed them? 

And why they crunch.....

Soundwaves are moved by the snow. With the snow sitting on the ground, it is covering up the land causing the soundwaves to make a sound. They sound different when the weather changes. Walking on the snow and hearing the crunch is a favorite thing to do for me. It's the sound of winter. Walking in a winter wonderland where all you see is snow, is a magical time of year. The air is crisp, and, if you're lucky, the sun will be out so the snow glistens.

So, when the snow comes down, take the time to really see and hear it.

Each of the above prints are available for purchase.


Thanks for visiting!

Judy


References:

Cassino, M. & Nelson, J. (2009). The Story of Snow: The Science Writer's Wonder.

Marsico, K. (2007). Snowy Weather Days. Scholastic Inc.

https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/snow/science/weather.html

https://scied.ucar.edu/shortcontent/snowflakes

https://scied.ucar.edu/longcontent/snow-white-maybe-or-maybe-not