All of us here in St. Louis have encountered it whether we like it or not: snow! It turns barren trees into a winter masterpiece and provides hours of laughter and entertainment for snowmen, sledding and the occasional snowball fight for young and old alike. How snow forms can also be an equally interesting and exciting process.
    It takes a while, but it all starts with dust. Small pieces of dust float in the air and small bits of water vapor collect around the dust much like dew collects on grass or leaves. This is how clouds form. In the winter, the temperatures start to drop, and the water molecules begin to form crystals. The flakes begin as a hexagonal plate, and then as they rise or fall in the cloud, they get warmer and colder. Depending on the temperature, different shapes will build off of the starting plate and morph into a completely unique snowflake.
    This process is so complex, that it is very unlikely to come across the same snowflake pattern more than once. So when the snow starts to drift lazily down, run outside and stick out your tongue, or catch a flake on your mittens and admire nature’s miniature masterpiece.