Wild Earth Integration

(Yes it’s a cheesy title, but who doesn’t like a little alliteration at the end of a long week?)

Here’s Gerry’s latest photo shoot. As you can see, he’s sporting his fashionable fur coat for the winter, and is thoroughly enjoying the snow. I thought it would be nice to devote a day to some science. No need to squirm – around here, the science comes with a side of awesome. The next time you’re sledding down a hill, making snow angels or doing donuts in a parking lot (come on, you love it) – here are some snow facts to get the neurons firing.

• The largest snowflake ever to be recorded was in Keogh, Montana. It was fifteen inches across. Seriously, that’s the size of a medium pizza. Mmm.. snow pizza.

• Snow could be a girl’s best friend. Like diamonds, snow is actually a mineral. Although you’d have to explain why your bling was melting.

• The colder it is, the more snow crunches underneath your feet. This is because ice grains rub together creating friction when you walk on them. Cold air makes for even more friction, which gives you more crunchies.

• Snow is about 95% trapped air. This is why snow forts are kind of warm – snow is a great insulator.

• There is a teeny particle of dust inside every snowflake. This can be volcanic ash or even a particle from outer space! Unless of course, you subscribe to the Seussian belief, in which there is a tiny Who-Ville inside every snowflake. I vote for that one.

And that’s a wrap! Enjoy your snowy Friday, my nature friends. Here’s a song to get you started. See you Monday!