Snowflakes, records and types of snow

Snowflakes are relatively flat and have six approximately identical arms, so that the snowflake nearly has the same symmetry as a hexagon. Snowflakes are not perfectly symmetric however. They can come in many different forms, including columns, needles, bricks and plates. What is really curious is the belief that no two snowflakes are alike. Scientists say that it is extremely unlikely for any two macroscopic objects in the universe to contain an identical molecular structure.

Records

The highest seasonal total snowfall ever measured was at Mount Baker Ski Area, outside of Bellingham, Washington in the United States during the 1998–1999 season. Mount Baker received 1,140 inches (29 m) of snow, thus surpassing the previous record holder, Mount Rainier, Washington, which during the 1971–1972 season received 1,122 inches (28.5 m) of snow. Guinness World Records list the world’s largest snowflakes as those of January 1887 at Fort Keogh, Montana; allegedly one measured 15 inches (38 cm) wide.

Some basic types of snow

Blizzard – it is a long-lasting snow storm with intense snowfall and usually high winds.

Flurry – is a period of light snow with usually little accumulation with occasional moderate snowfall.

Freezing rain – it is rain that freezes on impact with a sufficiently cold surface.

Graupel - precipitation formed when freezing fog condenses on a snowflake, forming a ball of rime ice, also known as snow pellets.

Hail - many-layered ice balls, ranging from "pea" sized (0.25 in = 6 mm) to "golf ball" sized (1.75 in = 43 mm) and in rare cases, "softball" sized or greater (max.4.25 in = 108 mm).

Zdroj: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow a Guinness World Records 2006, ISBN: 80-7209-728-8

Accumulation =nakupení, hromadění
Alike = podobný, stejný
Allegedly = údajně
Belief = domněnka, přesvědčení, mínění
Blizzard = sněhová bouře, vánice, vichřice
Brick = kostička
Column = sloup
Condense = srazit se, koncentrovat se
Contain = obsahovat, mít
Flat = rovný, plochý, placatý
Flurry = metelice, plískanice
Fog = mlha
Freeze = mrznout
Freezing rain = mrznoucí déšť
Granular = zrnitý
Graupel = sněhové kroupy
Hail = krupobití
Hexagon = šestiúhelník
Impact = dopad, náraz
Inch = palec, coul (2,54cm)
Layered = (na)vrstvený
Long-lasting = dlouhotrvající, dlouhodobý
Measured = měřený
Moderate = mírný, průměrný
Multitude = velké množství
Needle = jehlička
Particle = částečka
Pea = hrášek
Pellet = kulička
Plate = plátek, tabulka
Precipitation = srážka, srážení
Ranging = dosahující
Rare = vzácný, ojedinělý
Rime = puklina, jinovatka
Snowfall = sněžení, chumelenice
Snowflake = sněhová vločka
Storm = bouře, vichřice
Sufficiently = dostatečně
Surface = povrch
Surpass = překonat, předčit
Thus = tudíž, tedy, čili, tím