Science of Snow Sparkles
Science of Snow Sparkles, this is the one thing I love most about winter. When the sun comes out and you have a sea of sparkles glistening in the morning light. It is like a sea of diamonds that one cannot touch, you can only admire it from a far.
Snow sparkle is possible on a sunny day when there are flat ice crystals on the top of the snow’s surface, As the sun comes down and hits those ice crystals, they act like mirrors. So what you’re seeing is individual ice crystals that the sun is reflecting off of.
The usual white sparkle is caused by light reflecting off of the top of the ice crystals. But, when the light bounces off of the bottom surface of the crystal, color can be created. As you see in these two photos. Just amazing to me, this light that I see lifts my spirits and always brings a smile to my face.
Science of Snow Sparkles
92 Replies to “Science of Snow Sparkles”
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That was interesting Sandra – the sparkles do look like diamonds. It is funny I read this post from last week now because this morning one of the meterologists I follow (Paul Gross) described this morning’s snow like this ” … it was still snowing when I left for work at 3 AM, and the snowflakes in my headlights looked like little diamonds falling!”
I love that when it is doing that. It is amazing to see.
Yes, sparkling like diamonds – of course we wish it was sparkling water with those light flashes on a sunny Summer day!
Fascinating read. Random information is awesome kindling for conversation. Thanks for the food for thought!
You are very welcome. 😊
Wonderful!
Thank you very much Nuno 🙂
Really Pretty 🌼
Thank you very much. 😊
This is so wonderful, I really want to enjoy that, but my place is actually hot and humid😔😔
I think I like the cold better than hot and humid. Even though by February I start thinking about spring.😊
Soooo pretty! 😍
Thank you very much. 😊
Thank you. 😊
Beautiful photographs!
Thank you very much. 😊
It’s so beautiful and lovely!!🤍🤍
Thank you very much. 😊
Beautiful!
Thank you very much Emilie.🙂
Totally amazing. and such a wonderful explanation. I have always thought it was tiny fairies dancing in the snow. Thanks for destroying a little boys fantasy.
Laugh NOW It can’t wait
Lol, awe, they can be what ever your imagination makes them.They are a sea of diamonds to me.non stop sparkles.😉
It has been very beautiful, it is very wonderful and there is no question of your comment. I like the dance very much
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Thank you 🙂
Me thank you 🌹
Gorgeous!
Thank you very much 🙂
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very cool – gotta love snow sparkles! 💎💎💎
Always, 🙂
So pretty 😍 love it 💜
Thank you 🙂
Really beautiful.
Thank you 🙂
We had this too in our back yard. Never seen it before. Like walking on a carpet of diamonds. Magical.
It is so magical Clive, it is hard to get a photo of. The camera does not always pick up the sparkles.
Very beautiful
Thank you very much.😊
😀
Great photos, Sandra. You caught them so perfectly. We hardly get snow here, so it is a treat to see these photos.
Thank you very much Ron, I think we have enough snow here now for the both of us. It can quit anytime. 😊
Beautiful!!!
Thank you very much Tom 🙂
These are amazing! I’m inspired to write about this 🙂 Thank you, Sandra!
You are very welcome Mary.😊
Wonderful… Thanks, Sandra, have a great day.
You also Francine, thank you. 😊
Amazing!
Thank you very much. 😊
Thoroughly enjoyed the pictures and explanation. The frost on the ice crystals looks like down or the thin white fluff on an old man’s head.
Yes, it does, I can see that now. 🙂
Beautiful!!!
Thank you very much. 😊
A big part of the “wonder’ in “winter wonder land.”
Yes it is, amazing when it happens. 😊
It is a joy to see the world anew through your lens.
Thank you Gerry, that means a lot to me. One can’t hardly miss the sparkles. But they are hard to photograph, the camera has a hard time picking them up. Amazing aren’t they. 🙂
Yes, very much so.
Magical! ❄️
Thank you. 😊
Nice 🙂
😊 thank you.
I love it! ❄
Thank you 😊
That’s amazing. You feel like gather all that sparkle like you’d gather gold nuggets. 🙂
Yes, it is quite the sight when the sun comes out. Which doesn’t happen very often this time of year. Seeing the sun, 😊
Amazing!
Thank you very much.
Really pretty and maks me marvel at the science of nature.
It really is quite the sight on a sunny day.😊
Your having some amazing fun photographing your snow lately which is wonderful as we never see snow here.
Thank you very much, yes this time of year it tends to snow a lot. What a difference it makes when the sun comes out. It is breathtaking when the sparkles cover the ground.😊
Very beautiful!!❤️
Thank you. 😊