# Need details on snowflake formation

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-details-on-snowflake-formation/141640>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 9, 2002, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-details-on-snowflake-formation/141640 "2002-12-09T23:16:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Duggie9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Duggie9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duggie9)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2002, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-details-on-snowflake-formation/141640/1 "2002-12-09T23:16:07Z")

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Can someone help me on the details of snowflake formation?

I generally understand the concept of crystal chemistry and that ice, as a mineral, falls into the hexagonal or cubic class of crystals. And, how crystals can grow by the accumulation of molecules (water molecules in the case of snow). But why does each branch of a well formed snowflake (with a lacy morphology) grow out from a single center symetrically with five other branches each in a similar pattern? Why doesn’t each of the six branches grow in a different pattern?

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**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\
**Post date:** [December 10, 2002, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-details-on-snowflake-formation/141640/2 "2002-12-10T00:06:38Z")

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[CalTech](http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/faqs/faqs.htm) can answer your question. It’s complicated stuff.