Snow Flakes 101

The next time someone tells you that snowflakes have six sides, you can reply, "Not all of them." This one is called a "Hollow Column."

This one forms a Hollow Column and then like wheels, spins off two hexagon plates on either end. It's rather like those large wooden spools that power lines and other cables are spun around before being attached to the poles.
Of course, many snow flakes do come with six sides, but even here they also form with distinct qualities that give them several separate names. This one is a "Fernlike Stellar Dendrite."

This one is a regular "Stellar Dendrite."










This on is a "Stellar Plate."













Here's a really interesting one. It forms open cups some of which continue to form lips. They're called "Bullet Rosettes."

And where there are six, there are also twelve sided snowflakes.











And there are triangular crystals, too. Infact, there are well over 30 different categories of snowflakes. Who knew?

You can check out dozens and dozens of these beautiful images and learn more about snowflakes at: http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/class/class.htm