Home
Weather London
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
Career
    Home / Editor's Pick /

    Did you know? Seven facts about snow

14:00
26 December 2023

Did you know?
Seven facts about snow

Cairngorm Mountains, Scottish Highlands.
Cairngorm Mountains, Scottish Highlands.

From myth busters on Earth to findings on Mars, here are seven facts you may not know about snow.

1. The snowiest place in the UK and Ireland

It will be no surprise to hear that Scotland is the snowiest place in the UK and Ireland, with the Cairngorm Chairlift weather station recording an average of 76.2 days of snow per year.

2. Deepest snow?

The deepest snow ever recorded was near Ruthin, North Wales during the winter of 1946-47. In the March of 1947 1.65m of lying snow was recorded here, thanks to severe drifts.

3. Snow isn't white

It's actually totally clear! Although snowflakes appear white, ice is translucent, meaning light only passes through indirectly, so diffuse reflection through the many sides of the ice crystals causes it to seem white in colour.

4. How fast?

Snow falls at an average speed of 1-4mph, taking around an hour to reach the ground. If any snowflakes become supercooled, and heavier, they can fall a little faster than your regular snowflake.

5. It's never too cold to snow!

It can never be too cold, but it can be too dry!

6. Snow on Mars

According to NASA, during the summer in the north of the planet there could be violent snow storms. With clouds and subsurface ice detected on Mars, snow is certainly plausible.

Scientists also found a cloud of carbon dioxide snowflakes over the southern pole of Mars.

7. Dust must be present

The cold water droplet needs to have dust or pollen particles to freeze onto in the sky to create an ice crystal.

Artificial snow used for winter sportsread more
Weather & Radar editorial team
More on the topic
UV levels peak with the heat today. Latest heatwave. . . Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Split graphic showing a temperature map of England and eastern Ireland with temperatures reaching 33°C near London, 32°C in Norwich, and 29°C around Birmingham on the left, alongside a person applying sunscreen with a UV icon on the right.
Wednesday, 29 July 2026

Latest heatwave

UV levels peak with the heat today
Heavier rainfall over the week for some. Ireland & Scotland. . . Tuesday, 28 July 2026
Split image showing a Europe rainfall accumulation forecast map on the left with the highest totals across the UK, Ireland, and Scandinavia, and a satellite weather map on the right with a broad band of rain stretching across Ireland, Scotland, and northern Britain, highlighted by a rain cloud icon.
Tuesday, 28 July 2026

Ireland & Scotland

Heavier rainfall over the week for some
Forest fires are getting out of control. Spain and France. . . Saturday, 25 July 2026
A split-screen image featuring a photograph and a weather map. On the left, thick, dark-grey smoke rises from several fire sites in a wooded coastal area; a calm stretch of water can be seen in the foreground. On the right, a weather map shows south-western France and northern Spain. A red arrow points from the Atlantic towards the French Atlantic coast, symbolising an onshore wind. Sunny weather is forecast for Bordeaux at around 20 degrees, and Bilbao is also expected to be sunny at around 27 degrees. A large warning sign with a flame symbol indicates an increased risk of forest fires.
Saturday, 25 July 2026

Spain and France

Forest fires are getting out of control
All weather news
This might also interest you
Super Typhoon Bavi threatens Taiwan. Up to 1,000 mm of rain. . . Wednesday, 8 July 2026
The image shows an intense tropical cyclone over the western Pacific, east of Taiwan and the Philippines. The centre of the system is depicted as a light purple and white vortex with a clearly visible eye, surrounded by a ring of red and orange areas indicating the strongest wind speeds. A white arrow marks the typhoon’s predicted track towards the north-west, in the direction of Taiwan. To the west of the storm lie the Philippines, with the cities of Manila and Cebu; to the north of these lies Taiwan, with Taipei. Further west, the Chinese coast, including Hong Kong, and parts of Vietnam can be seen. The coloured wind map shows predominantly green areas outside the storm’s core, indicating significantly weaker winds. White streamlines illustrate the typhoon’s anti-clockwise circulation in the Northern Hemisphere. The highest wind speeds are concentrated around the eye of the cyclone.
Wednesday, 8 July 2026

Up to 1,000 mm of rain

Super Typhoon Bavi threatens Taiwan
Long-term trends need a pinch of salt. 40 °C in July?. . . Tuesday, 30 June 2026
Temperature radar of 2022 heatwave where the all-time temperature record in the UK was set. Warning symbol overlain.
Tuesday, 30 June 2026

40 °C in July?

Long-term trends need a pinch of salt
A frozen start to the weekend. Icy conditions. . . Friday, 13 February 2026
UK temperature map dated 14.02 showing widespread subzero values in blue shading, with readings such as −4 in Glasgow, −3 in Dublin, and −2 in London, alongside a blue thermometer icon.
Friday, 13 February 2026

Icy conditions

A frozen start to the weekend
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwittertikToklinkList