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Ask Dr. Universe Weather, Climate
University Communications Network > Ask Dr. Universe > Academic Subjects > Agriculture > Weather, Climate

What makes fluffy snow turn into crunchy, slippery, icy snow? — Penelope, 11, New York state

Dear Penelope,

I love the feel of freshly fallen, fluffy snow. But then it turns crunchy and wet. That feels yucky under my paws.

I asked my friend Jaitun Patel why that happens. She’s a data scientist at Washington State University’s AgWeatherNet. She makes sure weather stations put out reliable data.

She told me that fluffy snow turns crunchy because of how falling snowflakes land then melt and refreeze.

Snow forms when water vapor freezes way up in the clouds. That makes ice crystals called snowflakes.

Snowflakes look different depending on the conditions when they form. Some look star-shaped. They have lacy or … » More …

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What safety measures can we take during extreme weather conditions? – Zadok, 8, Kenya

Dear Zadok,

When I was a kitten, a tornado tore through the neighborhood I was visiting. It got eerily quiet outside. Then the sky turned green. My littermates and I climbed into an empty bathtub to stay safe. After that, it got super loud.

I talked about extreme weather with Nathan Santo Domingo. He’s a weather scientist at Washington State University.

He told me that how to prepare depends on where you live. Different places have different kinds of extreme weather.

“Keep an eye on the forecast and know what's coming your way,” Santo Domingo said. “Be smart about what happens in your area.”

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What is a tornado made of? - Alice, 6, Ames, Iowa

Dear Alice,

Have you ever felt a warm wind blow by you, followed by a cold gust of air? You can’t see it, but you can sense it on your skin. Invisible to you, winds mix together.

Usually, these winds are harmless. But under the right conditions, they can also be the main ingredients for a tornado.

To learn more, I chatted with Jon Contezac, Craig Oswald, and Joe Zagrodnik, a team of Washington State University scientists who are very curious about the weather.

To make a tornado, they explained, you need two big things: rising air and rotating air.

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