10 Surprising and Fun Facts About Snow

Snow is actually a mineral, just like diamonds and salt.

Every snowflake is made of tiny, symmetrical crystals packed together. At the center of almost every snow crystal is a tiny bit of dust, sometimes from volcanic ash or even outer space!

Each snowflake has six sides.

Remember how Eskimos build igloos? It might sound strange, but a house made of snow is actually really warm. That’s because snow is 90% to 95% air. Just like layered clothing keeps you warm thanks to trapped air, snow works the same way.

Why is snow white? Snow crystals reflect light because of their complex shapes. The tiny air bubbles in the snow scatter the light in every direction, showing all colors at once. That mix of colors looks white to our eyes just like sunlight.

Snow isn’t always white! Sometimes it turns black or yellow due to pollution. And then there’s red snow, not from pollution, but from a type of algae that grows on snow and gives it a reddish color and even a sweet, watermelon-like smell. It might be tempting, but don’t eat it, it could give you a stomachache!

Think the North and South Poles get the most snow? They do have lots of snowstorms, but most of the snow swirling there is from past storms, not new snowfall.

The world’s largest recorded snowflake was a whopping 38 centimeters (about 15 inches) wide! It was spotted in Montana back in 1887.

Around 80% of Earth’s drinkable water is frozen in the form of ice or snow. That frozen water covers about 12% of our planet’s surface.

Ever hear that Eskimos have 100 different words for snow? That’s just a myth. It comes from confusion about the different Eskimo languages and how their words are formed.