How the shape of snowflakes impacts the forecast
ORLEANS AREA EXPECTING TO SEE
MORE THAN 4 INCHES BEFORE IT IS
ALL THROUGH. WELL, SNOW IS
PRETTY WHEN IT FALLS, BUT HOW
IT LOOKS ONCE IT LANDS DEPENDS
ON WHAT SHEEP THE FLAKES TAKE
HIM BECAUSE SNOW FLAKES ARE FAR
FROM ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL.
METEOROLOGIST CHRIS MICHAELS
EXPLAINS WHAT SHAPE WILL SEE
TODAY AND HOW THAT AFFECTS THE
FORECAST.
>> THE SIZE, THE SHAPE OF
SNOWFLAKES CAN DEFINITELY SHAPE
WHAT WE SEE HERE AT GROUND
LEVEL. AND IN TERMS OF HOW COLD
IT IS RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE'RE
LOOKING AT ARE THESE SNOWFLAKES
CALLED DENDRITES AND THE SHAPE
OF THEM IS KIND OF HOW YOU
WOULD WHEN YOU MAKE PAPER
SNOWFLAKES. THAT'S KIND OF WHAT
THEY LOOK LIKE. SO THEY START
OUT WITH THIS HEXAGON SHAPE.
AND THEN AS THE AIR IS COLDER
AND YOU GET MORE WATER DROPLETS
COLLECTING ON TO IT, YOU GET
THAT FAN THAT'S GOING OUT.
WHAT YOU NOTICE WHEN IT'S COLD
OUT IS THAT THE SNOWFLAKES ARE
DRIER, A LITTLE MORE POWDERY
AND THEY'VE GOT POCKETS OF AIR
IN BETWEEN. SO THEY COLLECT A
LITTLE BIT. IT'S LIKE PLAYING
TETRIS OF A STACK A LITTLE MORE
EASILY AS THEY FALL TOWARD THE
GROUND. THIS IS ALSO WHY WE USE
THEIR DIFFERENT RATIOS WHEN
WE'RE TRYING TO CALCULATE HOW
MUCH SNOW IS GOING TO FALL.
AND IN THIS CASE BECAUSE IT'S
COLD, IT'S A 15 TO ONE
BASICALLY FOR EVERY 15 INCHES
OF SNOW. THAT'S ONE INCH OF
RAIN. AND IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH
LIQUID THERE IS ABOUT A 10TH OF
AN INCH, THAT'S WHY IT MAKES US
FORECAST PRETTY TRICKY BECAUSE
WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT A TON OF
MOISTURE. BUT ANY LITTLE SHIFT
IN THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN
WHAT YOU SEE IN TERMS OF THE
TYPE OF SNOW. AGAIN, IT'S
LIGHT. IT'S POWDERY, IT'S
EASIER MOVE. THAT'S GREAT.
BUT IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR
SNOWBALLS IN THE AREAS THAT DO
SEE SNOW ACCUMULATION, IT'S