Snow events reflect the type of storm that generates them and the type of precipitation that results. Classification systems use rates of deposition, types of precipitation, visibility, duration and wind speed to characterize such events.
Precipitation may be characterized by type and intensity.
Frozen precipitation includes snow, snow pellets, snow grains, ice crystals, ice pellets, and hail. Falling snow comprises ice crystals, growing in a hexagonal pattern and combining as snowflakes. Ice crystals may be "any one of a number of macroscopic, crystalline forms in which ice appears, including hexagonal columns, hexagonal platelets, dendritic crystals, ice needles, and combinations of these forms". Terms that refer to falling snow particles include:
In the US, the intensity of snowfall is characterized by visibility through the falling precipitation, as follows:
Classification of snow on the ground comes from two sources: the science community and the community of those who encounter it in their daily lives. Snow on the ground exists both as a material with varying properties and as a variety of structures, shaped by wind, sun, temperature, and precipitation.
In addition to having material properties, snowpacks have structure which can be characterized. These properties are primarily determined through the actions of wind, sun, and temperature. Such structures have been described by mountaineers and others encountering frozen landscapes, as follows:
Ski resorts use standardized terminology to describe their snow conditions. In North America terms include:
Skiers and others living with snow provide informal terms for snow conditions that they encounter.
Not surprisingly, in languages and cultures where snow is common, having different words for distinct weather conditions and types of snowfall is desirable for efficient communication. Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Russian, and Swedish have multiple words and phrases relating to snow and snowfall, in some cases dozens or even hundreds, depending upon how one counts.
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