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Viewers, readers noticing different shape to Saturday's snowflakes

Most of us are familiar with snowflakes that are flat and spread out with six points. These are known as plates. But there are many other forms of snowflakes, one of which is seen in these photos.  These particular snowflakes are part of the column family. The shape of a snowflake is determined by the temperature and humidity of the atmosphere where the ice crystal originates and grows. Columns usually form with temperatures around 20 degrees Fahrenheit. The interesting thing is the difference between a flat plate snowflake and a column snowflake is a matter of a few degrees.

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