Snowflakes are like letters from the sky, each crystal a note describing the atmosphere as it falls to the ground. They float effortlessly, but their creation is one of nature’s most complicated ...

MOLINE, Ill. — Snowflakes are frozen water crystals that can never be an exact replica of another. However, snowflakes can be classified into these broader types: dendrites, plates, columns, needles, ...

The temperature and dampness of the cloud constantly changes, which affects the shape of each snowflake. Snowflakes can be categorized into six main types, plate (flat), column, stars, dendrite, lacy, ...