(Photo: Miranda Granache)
(Photo: marada)
According to the US National Weather Service, three weather conditions must occur to produce these amazing snow formations:
- The ground surface must have an icy, crusty snow, on which falling snow cannot stick.
- About an inch or so of loose, wet snow must accumulate.
- Gusty and strong winds are needed to scoop out chunks of snow.
If you're lucky, then you may get to see these wonders known as snow rollers. The wind blows a small chunk of snow, which slowly rolls along the ground, picking up more snow. They're often hollow in the center, so they look like logs rather than snowballs. Some are more than a foot wide!
I've never seen one in person. Have you?
-via Kuriositas