The science of snow

Are all snowflakes really unique? What makes some snow better for skiing? And what's the difference between snow and hail? Join Alison Ballance and Katy Gosset as they hit the slopes of Mt Ruapehu and discover a science wonderland of snow.

You've probably heard the poetic fact that every single snowflake is unique.

This might be true on a molecular level, but doesn't quite pan out for macro snowflake shapes, Alison Ballance and Katy Gosset discover in this episode of 'The science of...'.

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Alison and Katy trace the journey of a snowflake from its inception high in the atmosphere to its fate on Aotearoa's mountaintops, and discover why snow is not just important for skiers and snowboarders.

Join us as Alison and Katy hit the slopes of Ruapehu to dive into the fascinating science of snow.

To learn more:

Visit the original episode webpage for The science of snow.

Discover more "cool" science in Physics on ice and Glaciers as barometers of climate change.

Listen to this episode about using historic weather records and machine learning to predict future weather.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details