WINTER FLAKES, SNOWMAN...

Especially since the 1980s, snow has become rarer. According to current climate scenarios, this trend should continue.

What is the coldest city in the world ?

Welcome to Yakutsk, in central Siberia… a small town known for its cosmophysical research institute and for being the coldest place in the world. In January, temperatures often drop below - 40 ° C ... and it's a small neighboring town, Verkhoyansk, which holds the absolute record for the most freezing inhabited place, with a nice - 69.8 ° C.

On the other hand, level snowfall, it is on the side of Japan that we must turn, towards Aomori precisely. Its inhabitants can enjoy an average of 8 meters of snow per winter.

Are all the flakes the same size ?

No! We know it (or not), but each snowflake, a bit like a fingerprint, is unique. Their size too. According to "The Guinness Book of Records", a snowflake 38 cm wide and 20 cm thick fell at Fort Keogh, Montana, USA on January 28, 1887.

Is it less cold when it snows ?

Not really. Everything is about feeling. Who has not heard say: "It is normal that it is less cold, it snows.". Yet nothing is so simple in the wonderful world of weather.

“In fact, the colder the air mass, the less moisture it can contain, and the warmer it is, the more it can contain; This implies in winter that an air mass at - 2 ° C can contain more humidity than an air mass at - 10 ° C. So, theoretically yes, an air mass at - 2 could produce more snow than at - 10. There are always exceptions, but in general, this is the case. So in summary, we cannot say that it is less cold when it snows, but rather that on average it snows less when it is very cold. ”

What is the magic formula for making the best snowmen ?

Yes, a mathematical formula describes the ideal snow for shaping snowmen: it must be slightly humid (contain one fifth of water) and the outside air must be equal to or less than 0 ° C.

James Hind, a British mathematician, even created an ad hoc algebraic formula, respecting the famous golden figure in terms of proportions.

Basically, your creature should measure precisely 1.60 m and be composed of 3 balls of different sizes. The first measuring 80 cm, the second 50 and the third 30 cm.

Furthermore, his nose should consist of a carrot protruding 4 cm.

But in a context of global warming, you will have to climb higher and higher to make your snowman  !