“Grow Snow Crystals" WebApp Courtesy of the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS), Copyright © 2013 by Tom Whittaker and Steve Ackerman at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
How do different temperatures affect snowflakes?
Every snow crystal has a six-sided (hexagonal) shape, but they come in all different arrangements and sizes.
As a snowflake forms, it can move to different parts of the cloud. Differences in temperature and humidity affect the snowflake's shape.
Explore how snowflake crystals take shape depending on temperature:
- Click in one of the temperature zones (between the lines).
- Move your cursor to a different temperature zone and click some more.
- Combine up to three different shapes.
- Click multiple times to watch the crystal grow.
- Click below the cloud to start over.
Find out more about snowflakes and how they form.
