Christmas through the Eyes of a Snowflake  What Would a Snowflake Say?

What if snowflakes could talk? In this thought experiment, we bring nature to life and imagine a snowflake sharing the story of its journey during the magical season of Advent.

This article shouldn’t really be about me. Because I begin my journey as water vapour, rising into the sky and returning to the ground as rain. Around Christmastime, I’m more often a raindrop than a snowflake. This has to do with the “Christmas thaw” – one of Germany’s most reliable weather patterns. Initially, temperatures drop throughout November, increasing the likelihood of snow. But by mid-December, the weather often takes a turn again. Mild, humid air from the west sweeps in, bringing rain and thaw conditions.

Guaranteed Christmas snow on the Zugspitze

Snow at Christmas has always been something of a rarity in Germany. And it’s becoming even rarer with climate change. According to the German Weather Service, the likelihood of snow at Christmas in Munich, for instance, decreased by almost 20 percent from the period 1961−1990 to 1991−2020. However, at higher altitudes, I can still appear as a snowflake. If I happen to be over the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain, there is even a 100 percent chance I’ll fall as snow at Christmas. But sometimes, I don’t just form over mountains, I can spread across the entire country. For this to happen, I need cold, moist air at cloud level and a condensation nucleus – usually a tiny dust particle floating in the atmosphere. Water vapour condenses around this nucleus, and the unique structure of the water molecules works it wonders, creating – as if from nowhere – a beautiful hexagonal snow crystal.

It takes less than an hour for me to turn into a snow crystal. Then, I begin my journey towards the ground. To land as snow, the temperature along the way has to remain consistently cold. Falling downwards, I often encounter other snow crystals. In warmer temperatures, I stick to them, forming a bigger snowflake. Sometimes, one of my six corners breaks off in the process.

I enjoy nothing more than drifting gently to the ground as snow. While rain can pelt down at a rate of 20 km/h and hail reaches speeds of over 100 km/h, I prefer a more peaceful descent, taking in the world from above. As a snowflake, I fall at a leisurely 4 km/h – about the speed of an unhurried human stroll. Depending on how high the clouds are, it can take hours before I finally settle on streets, fields or gardens.

Ever tried preserving a snowflake?

On my way down, I sometimes catch sight of ski resorts and so-called “snow guns”. The name is rather misleading because snow guns don’t actually produce snow. They create tiny pellets made of frozen water droplets. I’ve heard that some people prefer to ski on real snow rather than artificial snow. It’s probably more fun when the surrounding countryside is covered in a white blanket and the snow sparkles and glistens. That glittering effect is the result of the sunlight reflecting off the snow crystal fragments.

If we retain our hexagonal structure as we fall to the ground, we snow crystals retain our extraordinary beauty. This is the perfect moment to collect and preserve us! Physicist Helene Hoffmann and her husband Thomas Hoffmann are particularly good at preserving snowflakes. No wonder! Having spent the winter in Antarctica, the couple has had plenty of opportunities to examine our delicate ice formations. Using superglue, small glass plates and a lot of patience, they have successfully preserved some of the most stunning snow crystals forever. They also have Alpine snow crystals in their collection.

The onset of winter and snow chaos – the power of snow

I can understand the fascination. Whenever I watch other snowflakes during my journey, I’m in awe every time. But snowflakes are also capable of creating chaos, too. Sometimes, we fall in such large quantities or in places where no one is prepared for snow, that we overwhelm people, animals and plants. This phenomenon is also linked to climate change. In some places, snowfall has become rare, while in others, so much snow falls that a thick blanket covers the ground.

Whether or not I form a blanket of snow with the other snowflakes depends on temperature and humidity. If the temperature is below zero and the air is not too dry, it’s likely that I won’t melt immediately or rise back into the sky as a gas. This means we snowflakes can insulate the ground, which is often a very good thing for plants. When I linger on the ground for a while, I like to take the time to observe my surroundings. I notice paper snowflakes adorning the windows of nearby houses. I wonder if children live there, eagerly awaiting our arrival so they can finally go sledging. It’s a joy to bring happiness to others. I’ll do my best to survive the warm temperatures during the holidays. Gazing at the brightly lit, decorated windows, behind which Christmas celebrations are about to begin – it’s a heartwarming thought, don’t you think?

December 2024