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🌨 WHY DOES SNOW ONLY CREAK IN FREEZING COLD

13 февраля13 фев

~1 мин

? Minus 5 or minus 25 — what difference does that make? Snow is snow. It creaks — and that's that. Right? Wrong, actually. 🌡️ The sound of snow is a thermometer. At −5°C, snow softly "rustles" underfoot. At −15°C, it gives out a crisp "crunching" sound. At −25°C, it squeaks so loudly you can hear it a block away. What's happening? ❄ A snowflake is a tiny star with rays, or needles, as they are called. When you step on it, those needles break. In a mild frost, snowflakes partly melt due to friction, leaving a thin layer of water between them. Not all needles break at once, which produces a muffled sound. ❄ In a severe frost, the water disappears. Snowflakes are dry and rigid. Thousands of needles break simultaneously — like glass fibers. ❄ One more thing: snow is only perfect for snowballs at around 0°C. At −20, you won't be able to make a snowball — the snow will simply fall apart.

🌨 WHY DOES SNOW ONLY CREAK IN FREEZING COLD?

Minus 5 or minus 25 — what difference does that make? Snow is snow. It creaks — and that's that. Right?

Wrong, actually.

🌡️ The sound of snow is a thermometer.

At −5°C, snow softly "rustles" underfoot.

At −15°C, it gives out a crisp "crunching" sound.

At −25°C, it squeaks so loudly you can hear it a block away.

What's happening?

❄ A snowflake is a tiny star with rays, or needles, as they are called. When you step on it, those needles break. In a mild frost, snowflakes partly melt due to friction, leaving a thin layer of water between them. Not all needles break at once, which produces a muffled sound.

❄ In a severe frost, the water disappears. Snowflakes are dry and rigid. Thousands of needles break simultaneously — like glass fibers.

❄ One more thing: snow is only perfect for snowballs at around 0°C. At −20, you won't be able to make a snowball — the snow will simply fall apart.