Video
The Hush of Snow
Have you ever wondered why a snowfall seems so peaceful? One reason is that freshly fallen snow muffles sound.
Snowflakes form in much the same way as raindrops. Water vapor freezes onto microscopic bits of dust (called freezing nuclei), creating tiny ice crystals. Winds throw the crystals up and down in the cloud. That causes them to merge with others or to grow with the help of supercooled water droplets. When the flakes finally fall to Earth, the air below must be cold enough to keep them from melting.
