Yesterday was the coldest day of the year. When I woke up the temperature was 2 F (-17 C). But the sun was shining, and if you didn't have to go outside it was lovely to look out at the blanket of white.
The camera doesn't fully capture it, but the sunshine, the composition of the snow, and perhaps the extreme cold combined to make the snow sparkle like a field of diamonds.
You're correct: cold, dry snow tends to sparkle more than other snow. This is because the crystalline structure of snowflakes changes depending on the temperature. In this case, they end up flat, so they act as tiny mirrors reflecting the sunlight.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Meredith, for the scientific explanation!
DeleteYou're welcome! I've always been interested in weather and meteorological phenomena. :-)
DeleteI know you have probably told me before, but what was your major in college?
DeleteGreat capture of the diamond-like snow! Sure looks cold though. This winter has been unseasonably cold pretty much everywhere in the U.S. - e even in SoCal and definitely in Tennessee.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Scott. As I write this the snow is finally starting to melt. I know that it won't be the last snow of the winter, but I hope that it is the last BIG snow.
Delete