Why The World Seems To Fall Silent After A Fresh Snow

Have you ever heard the phrase “quiet as a snowflake”? Well, it wouldn’t be a surprise if you haven’t - it’s mostly overshadowed in pop culture by its brother “quiet as a mouse.” But quiet as a snowflake is still an apt simile to describe how quiet something is, even more than just because a snowflake itself is quiet.

Snowflakes, and snow in general, are actually able to make the world around them quiet too.

The science of silent snowflakes: The most common type of snowflake, called a dendrite, has six "arms" extending out from the center of the flake. While falling toward the ground, these dendrites catch soundwaves in the small gaps between their arms, dampening the sounds before they reach your ears.

(MORE: Why All Snowflakes Have Six Sides)

For people who haven’t experienced this firsthand, a fresh layer of snow on the ground can sound similar to when you’re wearing a thick pair of headphones with nothing playing. You can still hear, but everything sounds somewhat muted and softer.

On those mornings when you’re the first one out the door after a heavy snow and trudging through the snow to enjoy the sights or to get to your car, all you might hear (especially when the snow is nice and deep) is the sound of your own boots crunching through the snow.

Unfortunately, the peace and quiet doesn’t last for long. Over time, the snowpack on the ground goes through a cycle of mild melting during the day and refreezing over night, causing the snowflakes to lose their shape and the space between their arms. The snowflakes also get packed down into a denser layer of ice, which reflects sound much better.

The cold may not be many people’s favorite thing, but if you can brave the temperatures and spend time somewhere with snow in the forecast, it’s worth it to go outside and enjoy the sound of a crisp, snowy winter morning.

Sara Tonks is a content meteorologist with weather.com and has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Georgia Tech in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences along with a master’s degree from Unity Environmental University in Marine Science.