Have you tried to catch any snowflakes yet?
If so, they may have melted before you got a good look. However, weather factors like humidity and temperature can actually tell us what type of snowflakes will be flurrying across Milwaukee during Wednesday’s storm, according to the National Weather Service.
Here’s what types of snowflakes are swirling around Milwaukee today and how to catch them.
What type of snowflakes are falling on Milwaukee?
Though snowflakes come in a bevy of sizes and shapes, the type of snowflakes falling in Milwaukee on Wednesday are probably just what you imagine when you picture a snowflake.
Meteorologists are “mainly expecting” dendrites in Milwaukee throughout the storm, NWS Milwaukee wrote on X. These snowflakes form when the temperature is 5 degrees or below and the humidity is medium to high. They look like plate-like snow crystals with six branches — not unlike the classic paper snowflake.
“As you stare outside at the snow globe, know that those snowflakes were likely generated at about 5,000-15,000 feet above the ground between -10C (14F) to -20C (-4F),” NWS Milwaukee wrote.
Given their branched structure, dendrites are also the type of snowflake that can cause some of the highest snow totals, according to NWS. The branches create extra space between each snowflake, leading to light and fluffy snowfall that accumulates quickly on the ground.
How to catch snowflakes
Depending on the level of humidity, dendrites can be fairly large, ranging from two to four millimeters in diameter, according to the National Science Foundation. That also means they can be seen pretty easily with a naked eye compared to other snowflakes.
For the best chance to observe the snowflakes, try catching them on a dark piece of paper or cardboard and viewing through a simple magnifying glass.
Your paper or cardboard should be about the size of a book and stiff enough to stay flat when you hold it by one edge, according to Country Living Magazine. Leave your cardboard outside for about 10 minutes before trying to catch snowflakes to make sure the surface is cold enough that the flakes don’t melt on impact.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about snowflake shapes and Milwaukee snow storm
Read the full article here
