How Do Snowflakes Form?

Snowflakes are tiny ice crystals that form when water freezes in the sky.

When it's cold up high in the clouds, water droplets turn into ice. But instead of just making one big piece of ice, they make many small ones, like a bunch of tiny diamonds.

These tiny ice crystals are very happy to grow bigger when there’s more water vapor around them. They grab extra bits of water from the air and use them to build their shapes. It's kind of like how you might add a new layer to your tower with blocks, each snowflake keeps growing by adding more layers.

Each snowflake is made up of six sides, just like a hexagon. When water freezes around the ice crystal, it forms these neat patterns because of how the molecules line up. Some parts grow faster than others, making points and edges, it’s like when you make a cookie and some parts get more sugar.

Every snowflake is different because each one has its own journey through the sky, meeting different temperatures and humidity levels along the way. That’s why no two snowflakes are exactly alike!