Some Snow Facts

What a winter it's been so far! It seems it's been snowstorm after snowstorm as the white stuff piles up and there seems nowhere to put it. As you look around at the snow here are some interesting facts about the snowman DNA so next time you see a snowflake falling you'll understand it a little better and either like it a little more or hate it like never before.:

The average snowflake falls at a speed of 3.1 miles per hour.For it to snow the tops of the clouds must be below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

At the center of each and every snowflake is a speck of dust or volcanic ash.

Snowflakes aren't always white because if there is a lot of coal dust in the air the snowfall will appear gray.
In Prince Edward Island, Canada, where the soil is red clay, snowflakes ofter look pink because dust from the soil is often blown in the air and it is absorbed into the clouds which the snow comes from.

The largest snowflakes ever recorded fell in Montana and averaged 15 inches in diameter.

People buy more cookies, cake and candy than any other food when a blizzard is forecast.

A blizzard occurs when viability is below 1/4 mile. The wind speed must be above 35 miles per hour and these conditions must last at least 3 hours. If any of these conditions are not met the storm can not be called a blizzard.

One in five people take the day off when heavy snow falls.

Snow is white because it's crystalline structure reflects white light in all directions. Ice is more dense so it appears clear.

In the Great Blizzard of 1888, snowfalls of 40-50 inches fell in parts of NY, NJ, CT and MA and produced wind drifts of more than 50 feet high. Railroads were shut down and people were confined to their houses for more than a week.

When treating hypothermia, the extremities (arms and legs) should NOT be warmed first because this will drive cold blood to the heart which can lead to heart failure.


Some Pictures of the Blizzard Of 1888 (NYC and CT)