How many types of snow exist? 17!

**Alek** · 12-05-2006, 10:51 AM

A great guide to snowflakes from Caltech with high-magnification pictures.

Different snowflake types

This page shows electron-microscope pics of snow crystals,
which are less pretty but more magnified. What is interesting is that they have pictures of faceted snow after it sits
on the ground for a while, so you can see how much snowflakes change.

Ever wanted to know what depth hoar looks like up close and personal? Here it is:

And this one gets my vote for the weirdest snow crystal ever, looks like a Dali' creation...

**Big E** · 12-05-2006, 11:11 AM

Those pics are incredible!! Great find. And they were taken in a lab like 5 minutes from my house!

**PNWbrit** · 12-05-2006, 11:19 AM

amazing.......

**rideit** · 12-05-2006, 03:19 PM

According to the Inuit language, there are over 100 types of snow.

**strawjack** · 12-05-2006, 03:21 PM

sweet pics!!! that's cool stuff...thanks

**Deep Days** · 12-05-2006, 03:32 PM

Originally Posted by rideit

According to the Inuit language, there are over 100 types of snow.

But how many words do they have for "wee-wee stuck in a hot tub?"

Cool find, alek. When I'm bored, I will most certainly sit down and get nerdy with that.

**extreeski** · 12-05-2006, 03:34 PM

I use that website to teach my students about snowflakes.

**TeleHoar** · 12-05-2006, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by rideit

According to the Inuit language, there are over 100 types of snow.

Thats nuthin...

Skiers have 182 words/descriptions of snow:

1. POWDER
2. CHAMPAIGN POWDER
3. PACKED POWDER
4. CARDBOARD POWDER
5. LOUD POWDER
6. COLDSMOKE POWDER
7. CONSOLIDATED COLD POWDER
8. DRY POWDER
9. SPRING POWDER
10. BLOWER POWDER
11. STELLAR POWDER
12. FLUFFY POWDER
13. FEATHER POWDER
14. NECTAR OF THE GODS
15. KOOTENAY GOLD
16. WHITE GOLD
17. BUTTER LOVE
18. POWDAH!
19. POW-POW
20. POW
21. SNORKEL SNOW
22. LE POUD
23. POUF DEVILLE
24. FRESHIES
25. PILLOWS
26. SILK
27. FAIRY DUST
28. CHALK
29. CHOWDER
30. CHUNDER
31. CORDUROY
32. ON-PISTE
33. OFF-PISTE
34. GROOMERS
35. MAN-MADE SNOW
36. MACHINE GROOMED GRANULAR
37. NATURAL SNOW
38. STOPGO SNOW
39. SUGAR SNOW
40. EGO SNOW
41. BONER SNOW
42. SCHMOO
43. SCHNEE
44. ELMERS
45. STYROFOAM
46. CREAMY
47. GLAZED
48. CAKE FLOUR
49. BRULEE
50. OATMEAL
51. MUSHROOMS
52. SOUR CREAM
53. SHAVING CREAM
54. COTTAGE CHEESE
55. CREAMY BUTTER
56. SPONGE CAKE
57. SLURPEE
58. SHERBET
59. MASHED POTATOES
60. MERINGUE
61. HARDPACK
62. BOILER PLATE
63. RUTT PLATE
64. BULLETPROOF
65. PORCELAIN
66. ICE
67. CLEAR ICE
68. BLACK ICE
69. BLUE ICE
70. ICE LENSE
71. NEW SNOW
72. OLD SNOW
73. LOOSE SNOW
74. WET SNOW
75. MOIST SNOW
76. ROTTEN SNOW
77. MANK
78. CRUD
79. BABYHEADS
80. FROZEN CHICKEN HEADS
81. DEATH CANTALOPES
82. DEATH COOKIES
83. MORTALITY BISCUITS
84. CORAL REEF
85. SIERRA CEMENT
86. CASCADE CONCRETE
87. DINNER PLATE CRUST
88. DEATH CRUST
89. WIND CRUST
90. KILLER CRUST
91. BREAKABLE CRUST
92. FACETED CRUST
93. RAIN CRUST
94. SUN CRUST
95. FURROWED CRUST
96. DUST ON CRUST
97. MELT-FREEZE CRUSTS
98. RADIATION RECRYSTALLIZED CRUSTS
99. NEAR WET LAYER CRUSTS
100. WIND PACK
101. WIND AFFECTED
102. WIND DEPOSITED
103. SPINDRIFT
104. RUNNELED
105. HARD SLAB
106. SOFT SLAB
107. WET SLAB
108. VARIABLE
109. CHOPPED / CHOP
110. CHUNKY
111. STICKY
112. BOOTABLE
113. GOOD PACKING
114. QUARRYABLE
115. SPARKLY
116. FIRM
117. SNOT
118. ELEPHANT SNOT
119. PENETENTES
120. SASTRUGI
121. PINWHEELS
122. FIRN
123. FIRNSPIEGEL
124. SLUSH
125. SLOP
126. GLOP
127. GLIT (GLOP+SHIT)
128. GRAUPEL
129. CHOSS
130. SLEET
131. HAIL
132. FROZEN RAIN
133. ICE PELLETS
134. BLOWING SNOW
135. HORIZONTAL SNOW
136. DRIFTING SNOW
137. LAKE EFFECT SNOW
138. ROLLED SNOW
139. THUNDER SNOW
140. UNMETAMORPHOSED NEW SNOW
141. ERASER SNOW
142. REFRIGERATOR SNOW
143. YELLOW SNOW
144. PINK SNOW
145. BROWN SNOW
146. SPRING CORN
147. DRY CORN
148. HOLLOW CORN
149. HERO CORN
150. SLOUGH / SLUFF
151. GRANULAR
152. FROZEN GRANULAR
153. CRYSTALINE
154. BOTTOMLESS MUSH
155. SUN-CUPS
156. SUN BLASTED
157. WIND DEPOSIT
158. SURFACE HOAR
159. DEPTH HOAR
160. HOAR FROST
161. NEAR SURFACE FACETS
162. INTERMEDIATE FACETS
163. ADVANCED FACETS
164. NEAR WET LAYER FACETS
165. NEAR CRUST FACETS
166. SHARP EDGE CRYSTALS
167. FACETED GRAINS
168. ROUNDED GRAINS
169. WET GRAINS
170. CUPPED GRAINS
171. STELLARS
172. SPATIAL DENDRITES
173. NEEDLES
174. CAPPED COLUMNS
175. HEXAGONAL PLATES
176. SQUARES
177. RIME
178. CONSOLIDATED SNOWPACK
179. TENDER SNOWPACK
180. AVALANCHE DEBRIS
181. NEVE
182. APATI

**rideit** · 12-05-2006, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by Deep Days

But how many words do they have for "wee-wee stuck in a hot tub?"

.

Hmmm..that's gonna take a little research. I'll get back to you on that.

**keksie** · 12-05-2006, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by rideit

According to the Inuit language, there are over 100 types of snow.

this is a kind of an urban legend, and is not true.
edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskimo_words_for_snow

**TeleHoar** · 12-05-2006, 03:47 PM

Originally Posted by keksie

this is a kind of an urban legend, and is not true.
edit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eskimo_words_for_snow

It is undetermined.

The inuits, like us, have many many descriptions for various snow conditions.
I did a lot of research and no-one at the top alaskan/inuit language studies could confirm nor deny that "myth".

See this thread from TTips.
There is a link there from a european inuit tribe who's name literally means "three-hundred words for snow."

Interesting read that lead to the above posted list.

**Art Shirk** · 12-05-2006, 03:47 PM

I use the term "brulee" like four times a week.

**rideit** · 12-05-2006, 04:04 PM

Originally Posted by commonlaw

I use the term "brulee" like four times a week.

Then you need to change up your diet. Tiramisu...THAT would be an interesting snow texture!
How about:
mothballs
malt balls
malted milk
popcorn
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