We don’t give snow enough credit. It’s not just cold, wet, white stuff falling out of a cloud, and it’s far more than a convenient play surface. Snow is more complicated than that.
Snow and snowflakes have fascinated both artists and scientists for thousands of years. From a 135 BCE writing contrasting of the shape of flowers to the shape of snow, to astronauts synthesizing snow crystals while in orbit on the Space Shuttle, it seems that snow has always been the subject of conversation and study.
Snow has a life cycle. Under the right atmospheric conditions, ice crystals form, their size increases, they precipitate and accumulate on surfaces, then in time, melt away. However, some snow crystals sublimate, turning from a solid to a gas without first becoming liquid; a kind of here-it-is-here-it-isn’t phenomenon.
Scientists study snow because of its affect on human activities. Anyone who’s ever wintered in the Sierra understands the troubles that a heavy snowfall can cause. Because of scientific findings about snow, engineers have been able to adapt transportation and structures to it, and agronomists can better estimate the availability of snowmelt for crops.