The most basic snow crystal is a hexagonal prism and can come in many shapes and sizes.
The prism has 8 sides: 2 surfaces known as basal facets and 6 prism facets.
How does a dull hexagonal ice crystal make such beautiful and elaborate flakes? The intricate flakes come from the condition in which the ice crystals are formed.
Types of Snow Flakes
Simple Prisms
Plates
Stellar Dendrites
Fernlike Stellar Dendrites
Columns, Needles and Capped Columns
Triangular Crystals
12 Sided Snowflake
Life History of a Snowstorm
• Powder
• Destructive metamorphism
• Constructive metamorphism
• Melt metamorphism
Powder
Destructive Metamorphism
Quin-zhee- Athabascan origin
Constructive Metamorphism
• Temperature gradient in snowpack…where is it warmer, top or bottom?
• Ice sublimates, vapors moving up• Warmer top melts a little, joining grains as it refreezes• Lower sublimation continues, leaving depth hoar