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December 18, 2002
A: FROM MENTOR MAGGIE REINBOLD
IN CA
Hi Toddsha! Snow is actually a really interesting weather
phenomenom, because
it actaully forms INSIDE of clouds rather than below them.
One step in the
water cycle is Condensation, which refers to the process of
liquid droplets
forming from water vapor gas, this has a lot to do with the
formation of snow.
(These droplets form when water vapor particles are able to
grab onto a piece
of dust of dirt inside the cloud.) When the temperature inside
a cloud reaches
freezing or below freezing, the water vapor composing the
clouds forms thin
ice crystals, or snowflakes! The amount of water being held
in the cloud, and
the degree below freezing will determine how large the snowflakes
are.(Very
cold temperatures yield smaller snowflakes than just at freezing
temps.) Once
the flakes/crystals get heavy enough, they simply fall out
of the cloud and
onto our heads! Other weather patterns such as hail and sleet
are actually
formed after falling from clouds as rain, they then encounter
temperatures
below freezing on their way down to the ground. Pretty strange,
eh?
********************
December 18, 2002
A: FROM MENTOR JOAN LUSK IN
RI
Hi-
http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/project/project.htm
gives a good explanation and a project to grow your own crystals.
The water needs to freeze from the vapor phase, not the liquid
- or
you get ice, not snow.
http://snobear.colorado.edu/Markw/SnowHydro/Atmosphere/atmos.html
is a more sophisticated explanation. And here
http://www.teamsnow.com/main.htm
is a company that will tell you all
about making snow for your ski resort! Have a great time on
the
slopes!
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