What makes a snowflake?

Snowflakes are made of pure snow and of 2 to 200 separate ice crystals. Ice crystals form around tiny pieces of dirt that have been carried up into the atmosphere by the wind. Basically, ice crystals are really soil particles that have been dressed up in ice.

Are there different shapes of ice crystals?

Scientists think there are really four different shapes of ice crystals. The simplest shape is a long needle shaped like a spike. The other shapes all have six sides. One of them is a long, hollow ice crystal column that is shaped like a six-sided prism. There are also thin, flat six-sided plates. And lastly there are intricate, six-pointed stars.

Does temperature affect the shape of ice crystals?

The shape of an ice crystal depends upon the temperature at which it forms. When the temperature in a cloud is 3° - 10°F, star shaped crystals form. From 10° - 18°F six-sided plates form and from 18° - 23°F hollow columns form. From 23° - 27°spike-like needles form and from 27° - 32°F the plates reappear. As the ice crystals grow, they become heavier and fall towards earth. If they spin like tops as they fall, then they may be perfectly symmetrical when they hit the ground. But if they fall in a sideways fashion, then they end up lopsided. Falling ice crystals clump together forming snowflakes. Remember that each snowflake is made up of 2 to about 200 separate crystals!