Snow
Everyone loves snow, but why does it snow? Snow falls when water in the atmosphere freezes and forms crystals that fall to the ground. The amount of snow varies from a light dusting to snow dropping a meter or more. Pretty, flaky, and fun, but snow is also important to climate, many animals and people depend on it to live. Snow is a very important source of water for many people. When snow melts each spring, the water fills streams and rivers that provide drinking water. In some places, snowmelt accounts for three-quarters of the water in streams. This is why shrinking glaciers (huge lumps of ice) are a concern. Glaciers store most of the world’s fresh water in the form of ice. We all know snow can be fun, but it has a dark side. Slippery, snowy roads make driving dangerous. People die in avalanches and from too much cold. Mountains get a lot of snow. When huge amounts of snow slide off the slope of a mountain, it’s called an avalanche. Avalanches occur when the top layer of snow gets too heavy for the snow at the bottom to “hang on” any longer. The snow breaks free and falls, covering anything in its path. You’ve probably heard of a blizzard—a windy snow storm that lasts a long time and dumps a lot of snow. But have you heard of a ground blizzard? That’s when high winds lift already fallen snow from the ground and swirl it around. Both types of blizzards can create dangerous whiteout conditions, where the snow is so heavy you can’t see very far. Despite snow’s dangers, it has many benefits. For one thing, snow can be a lot of fun. You know this if you’ve ever thrown a snowball, built a snowman, or made snow angels. Sports such as skiing, snowboarding, sledding, and snowmobiling wouldn’t exist without snow.