Xena
18-12-2008, 11:56 PM
This is interesting - or I was bored enough to think so!
http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/dn16170-snowflakes/1
Graph of crystal formation vs temperature
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z59/xenamojo/morphologydiagram.jpg
It obviously varies depending on the humidity.
High Temp (0 to -2)
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z59/xenamojo/stellar-plate.jpg
These are ice based snowflakes. Form the article it shows that many of the different snowflake shapes may develop at high temperatures. As such, there is a mix of conditions that may be experienced depending on if the snow sticks to snowpack or is blown into a lee area because the flake is lighter in nature. Needless to say, as the temperature rises - the snowflakes melt and re-freeze varying the kind of snow we ski on.
Mid temps (-3 to -10)
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z59/xenamojo/neeldes.jpg
These are the crystals we identify with grippy snow. They line up easily along their long sides and give the ski a firm purchase when the flakes are compressed. This can make the snow feel very 'on-off' when turning. Due to the large surface area, on melting these turn easily to ice in warmer weather.
Low Temps (-10 and below).
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z59/xenamojo/fernlike.jpg
This is where you get 'blower' or 'champagne pow'. There is a high amount of air in these crystals with little common surface area for them to stick together. There are, however, plenty of pointy surfaces to wear the wax off your base (and out of the pores in the plastic). Normally this kind of stuff, forms at really low temperatures. The structure of the crystal is not that strong, so they can get smashed when groomed and end up either as small needle like structures, or shards of the former flake.
Ice
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z59/xenamojo/rimed-crystals.jpg
This is an example of rime ice - which is the stuff that forms around lift poles and on the chairs. It is ice though and you can see that it is a solid mass. This would make it hard to set anything but sharp edges into it. When race courses are watered, it makes the colder flakes melt and re-freeze into this kind of ice.
[ 19.12.2008, 12:05 AM: Message edited by: Xena. ]
http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/dn16170-snowflakes/1
Graph of crystal formation vs temperature
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z59/xenamojo/morphologydiagram.jpg
It obviously varies depending on the humidity.
High Temp (0 to -2)
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z59/xenamojo/stellar-plate.jpg
These are ice based snowflakes. Form the article it shows that many of the different snowflake shapes may develop at high temperatures. As such, there is a mix of conditions that may be experienced depending on if the snow sticks to snowpack or is blown into a lee area because the flake is lighter in nature. Needless to say, as the temperature rises - the snowflakes melt and re-freeze varying the kind of snow we ski on.
Mid temps (-3 to -10)
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z59/xenamojo/neeldes.jpg
These are the crystals we identify with grippy snow. They line up easily along their long sides and give the ski a firm purchase when the flakes are compressed. This can make the snow feel very 'on-off' when turning. Due to the large surface area, on melting these turn easily to ice in warmer weather.
Low Temps (-10 and below).
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z59/xenamojo/fernlike.jpg
This is where you get 'blower' or 'champagne pow'. There is a high amount of air in these crystals with little common surface area for them to stick together. There are, however, plenty of pointy surfaces to wear the wax off your base (and out of the pores in the plastic). Normally this kind of stuff, forms at really low temperatures. The structure of the crystal is not that strong, so they can get smashed when groomed and end up either as small needle like structures, or shards of the former flake.
Ice
http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z59/xenamojo/rimed-crystals.jpg
This is an example of rime ice - which is the stuff that forms around lift poles and on the chairs. It is ice though and you can see that it is a solid mass. This would make it hard to set anything but sharp edges into it. When race courses are watered, it makes the colder flakes melt and re-freeze into this kind of ice.
[ 19.12.2008, 12:05 AM: Message edited by: Xena. ]