You know the old saying “no two snowflakes are alike”? Well, there may be more truth to that than you think. I am from Hillsboro, Oregon, where the snow falls in wet, indistinguishable clumps. When I moved to Montana, I immediately noticed a difference.

Here, when the conditions are right, you can pick out each of the six arms of individual snowflakes. They look like tiny versions of the paper crafts that school-kids make, perfectly formed and yet unique. This led me to question how snowflakes are formed, and why each snowflake is one of a kind. Listen to learn more about snowflake diversity…

This Field Note was written by Brooke Carlisle. Would you be interested in writing one? Contact Allison De Jong, Field Notes editor, at adejong [at] montananaturalist [dot] org or 406.327.0405. Please visit the Field Notes website at the Montana Natural History Center for more information.