Did you know that no two snowflakes are the same? Snowflakes all take slightly different paths to the ground as they form, which is why each one is unique.
How do snowflakes form?
Snowflakes start with a tiny speck of pollen or dust floating in a cloud that acts as a seed. When a very cold water droplet hits the seed, it freezes to form a tiny ice crystal.
This happens over and over again to form a six-sided shape. As the hexagon snowflake moves around in the cloud, it bumps into more water vapour, which freezes onto the corners of the hexagon to form the arms of the snowflake. The shape of a snowflake depends on the condition of the air.
- Wind can break or twist snowflake arms.
- Cold air makes the snowflake arms flatter.
- Warmer air makes the snowflake arms thinner.
Fun facts about snowflakes
The largest snowflake ever recorded was in Montana in 1887. The huge snowflakes were reported to be 38 inches wide!!!
Snowflakes fall at a speed of 1-4 miles per hour.
Each snowflake is made from approximately 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 (one quintillion) water molecules.
A snowflake is about 90% air and 10% ice!!
If it's snowing where you are today, take a look at my 10 ideas for science activities you can do on a snowy day.
Last Updated on January 7, 2026 by Emma Vanstone
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