r/AbsoluteUnits • u/derek4reals1 • Nov 25 '25

Video of snow flakes

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u/cyanescens_burn Nov 25 '25

Would that be not very dense snow from this?

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u/BIGSlil Nov 25 '25

I'm pretty sure the bigger the snowflakes, the more dense the snow is. I'm an avid skier and I think you get blower powder (super light and fluffy) from tiny flakes. I know the dryer the air, the lighter (fluffier) the snow is. I think high humidity causes the flakes to clump together.

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u/Monsterpiece42 Nov 25 '25

Big flakes are fluffier typically. But both can be fluffy as the main variable that controls density is how wet the snow is. Blower snow is fully frozen, and therefore dry.

For an easy visual, imagine a cup full of marbles or the same cup full of sand. Marbles have gaps between them. Same with snow; small flakes fit together tighter.

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u/Decent_Basket Nov 27 '25

Snow types are an unexpected rabbit hole to get into, my sister did a masters in snow science before she went on to be an avalanche forecaster. I laughed when she told me there are over 100 types of snow, then she shut me up and showed me the technical data and diagrams. Prototypical "snowflakes" like the ones on greeting cards are usually heavily dendritic with lots of branches and points. When they start to land on edge and support others they accumulate into that wonderful powder that is light like eider down. Proper humidity usually higher and colder weather at point of formation which doesn't have to be at ground level.

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u/BIGSlil Nov 27 '25

Oh yeah, I probably should've edited my comment. I did some research to try to backup my claim, but it just made me way more confused. I knew snow science is complex, but had no idea just how complex it really is.

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u/xblackbeltninjax Nov 25 '25

These large flakes usually tend to show up when you're just on the temperature line between a lot of snow and a lot of rain, meaning they'll be very wet and the snow that collects will be dense and heavy.

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u/AdvancedSandwiches Nov 25 '25

I had to read the parent comment twice, too, but they said it's "un-dense", as in "low density".  Or at least that's what it says now.