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Numbers in the News: Snowflakes
From flurries to blizzards, snowflakes are a sure sign that winter is here. Below are some facts and figures about this frozen precipitation.
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
15 INCHES
The diameter of the largest snowflake ever measured. It fell in Montana in 1887.
1 TO 2 MILLION
The estimated number of flakes in a cubic foot of snow.
SPL/SCIENCE SOURCE (NEEDLE, HEXAGON, BAR SNOWFLAKE)
121
The number of different snowflake shapes, which include stars, hexagons, and needles.
THINK ABOUT IT: Snowflakes are crystals—their molecules are arranged in an ordered, repeating pattern. What other objects in nature are crystals?
SOURCES: GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH JOURNAL, USA.COM