Snow: Quick Facts

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Nov. 14, 2026

News •

See where El Niño may help deliver lots of snow this winter • Nov. 11, 2026, 1:00 PM ET (Washington Post)

Parts of the Pittsburgh area could see snow this weekend, but most will see a wintry mix or rain • Nov. 10, 2026, 7:59 AM ET (CBS)

Snow could return to New York this week. When and where it's possible • Nov. 9, 2026, 9:58 AM ET (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)

Untangling the patterns of the cosmic microwave background to better understand the early universe • Nov. 6, 2026, 7:20 PM ET (Phys.org)

Snow is back in Michigan: See photos from across the state • Nov. 6, 2026, 10:02 AM ET (Detroit Free Press)

Photos and Videos

A single, detailed snowflake rests on the fibers of a wool coat, showing its intricate crystalline structure against the textured background.

frozen precipitation

Figure 7: Thin section photographs illustrating snow-to-ice transformation at the depths of (left) 1 metre,

Three line graphs display trends from 1850 to 2000: global average temperature and sea level both rise, while Northern Hemisphere snow cover declines, illustrating climate change impacts.

Why does snow crunch underfoot?

Witness snowflake crystals created in a laboratory environment

Animated design of a snowflake against a blue background.

Learn how researchers determine a possible outbreak of Avalanches

Animated snowflake against a dark background.

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

snowflake Blizzard firn Red snow column diamond dust plate stellar capped column spatial dendrite Rain Hail Orographic precipitation Sleet Fog drip Fog Cloud Does it rain on other planets?Aerosol Rime

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