Weather Explainers

10 Interesting Facts About Snow That May Surprise You

Discover surprising facts behind winter's fascinating phenomenon, including how some cities you'd never expect have seen snow and why snow can sometimes appear blue or pink.

5 Snow Facts You May Not Know

Whether you’re doing your snow dance or wishing it was still summer, winter storms are just around the corner for many.

Here are 10 things you may not know about that wintery precipitation.

1. It Has Snowed As Far South As San Diego And Miami… And Hawaii

The city of San Diego has recorded multiple instances of snow flurries, accumulating a trace of snow on numerous occasions. Downtown Los Angeles has recorded accumulating snow on four occasions, including up to 2 inches in 1932.

Brownsville, Texas, recorded 1.5 inches of snow on Christmas Day in 2004. This is the city’s only measurable snowfall dating back to 1895. Talk about a Christmas Miracle!

In 1977, it snowed in Miami, Florida, dusting cars and palm trees in tropical Dade County. This was not a measurable amount though; the history books list this snowfall as a trace.

You may also be surprised to hear that Hawaii sees snow every year. In fact, snow can fall in Hawaii any month of the year. But, this snowfall is confined to Hawaii’s highest elevations, including Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and Haleakala.

2. It Can Snow At Temperatures Well Above Freezing

It has snowed at temperatures over 40 degrees on numerous occasions. Theoretically, it could snow up to around 46 degrees.

For snow to occur at temperatures this high, the humidity has to be very low, because as snow falls, the flakes evaporate and cool. Evaporation is more efficient when it is dry.

3. Snow Is A Mineral

According to the National Snow & Ice Data Center, snow is a mineral because it is a naturally occurring solid, inorganically formed and has a definite chemical composition.

4. Snowflakes Can Be As Large As A Dinner Plate

Individual snow crystals are very small, but sometimes they stick together and create a much larger snowflake.

On rare occasions, snowflakes as large as dinner plates have been observed, according to Kenneth G. Libbrecht, a professor of physics at the California Institute of Technology.

The largest individual snow crystal ever observed by Libbrecht was 0.4 inches from tip to tip.

5. In The Lower 48, Colorado Holds The Record For Most Snow To Fall In A 24-Hour Period

Silver Lake, Colorado, received 75.8 inches of snow in a 24-hour period back in 1921.

Elsewhere in the U.S., Alaska received 78 inches in 24 hours at Mile 47 Camp in north-central Alaska in 1963.

Recently, Florida broke their state record on January 21, 2025, with 10 inches of snowfall recorded in Escambia county. (Note: This record has not yet been officially recognized as a state record by NOAA NCEI, though it has been recorded by NWS Mobile).

6. Not Every Windy Snowstorm Is A Blizzard

According to the National Weather Service, blizzard conditions are met when sustained winds of 35 mph or greater last for three hours or more, and visibility is reduced by falling or blowing snow to less than a quarter-mile for the same period of time.

7. Snow Isn’t Technically White

Snow is actually translucent and reflects upward of 90% of light that reaches the surface of the snow. Very little light is absorbed in snow, and no particular colors are absorbed more than others, which is why snow appears bright white.

In fact, naturally accumulating snow can appear blue or even pink. Just like in glaciers, deep snow can attain a deep blue hue as red light gets trapped in deeper pockets of snow. The deeper the snow is, the bluer it can become.

In some higher terrain, snow can be pink due to algae that grows there.

8. Snowflakes Can Actually Be The Same

In 1988, a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) found two identical snow crystals. Similar results have been produced in laboratories. Did we really think that of the infinite amount of snow produced around the world each year, no two flakes are identical? That seems improbable.

Just a few of the 35 types of snowflakes.

9. There Are Many Forms Of Snow

When we think about snow, most of us think of the beautiful dendrites. But, there are many more forms of snow than just that. According to snowcrystals.com, there are at least 35 types of snowflakes. Some are shaped like columns or needles, some look like two wheels on an axle and some are triangular shaped.