Did you know there are different types of snowflakes? Let's raise your Weather IQ!

GREENSBORO, N.C. — We’ve had one busy winter compared to the last few years of no snow! Although, we haven’t actually hit our average for the year at 8″ for Greensboro, we’ve still made it almost to a whopping 5 inches!

If you spent some time in the snow, did you notice some flakes were different than others?That’s right! There are several different snowflake types. 

But how many? Check out the full video here:

The type of snowflake really depends on the temperature and moisture content of the atmosphere in which the snowflake is falling in when it’s created. In general, each type of snowflake will form in a certain range of these two parameters.

Thin plates: Form when temperatures are right around freezing.

Needles: Temperatures in the 21-25˚F range.

Hollow Columns: Temperatures in the 14-21˚F range.

Stellar Plates & Dendrites: 3-10˚F range 

The fluffiest snow and the most complex shape known to feature intricate branching pattern will be the dendrite category. The first three columns (thin plates, needles, & hollow Columns) are more likely dry snow versus the fluffier snow will be in the later two. 

To put it simply, colder temperatures with less moisture tend to produce simpler shapes  like plates while warmer temperatures with more moisture create intricate branching patterns like dendrites.

What’s even cooler? Each snowflake will be different due to its individual atmospheric path as it falls. So next time it snows, check out the snowflakes and see if you can identify the type!