From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Snow
is a form of
ice
.
[1]
Snow forms when
water
in the
atmosphere
becomes
frozen
. It comprises individual
ice
crystals that grow while suspended in the
atmosphere
?usually within
clouds
?and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. Snow comes in all different shapes and sizes.
At the
freezing point
of water (0°
Celsius
, 32°
Fahrenheit
), snow melts and becomes liquid
water
. Sometimes, the snow will melt very fast and become
water vapor
. This is called
sublimation
. The opposite, where water vapor becomes snow, is called
deposition
.
Snow is used for some winter
sport
activities like
skiing
and sledding. Sometimes people make artificial snow so they can ski. People also commonly build things out of snow for fun.
Snow can also be dangerous, as it can lower
visibility
and make driving very difficult. When it snows, the snow will melt a little during the daytime and freeze again at night. This makes
ice
which can make driving conditions very treacherous. Snow plows are used to remove snow from roads to make driving easier and safer. Also,
sand
or
salt
may be added to the road to help tires grip the road. When salt is mixed with snow, the snow will melt more easily. This is because salt water has a lower
melting
point than fresh water (water without salt).
A
blizzard
is a dangerous type of a snowstorm. A blizzard produces strong
winds
that keep the snow in the air, thus reducing
visibility
. Sometimes it produce
thunder snow
, which is snow with
lightning
and thunder.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Snow
.