Home
Weather Dublin
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
Home / Editor's Pick /

Did you know? Seven facts about snow

14:00
26 December 2023

Did you know?
Seven facts about snow

Cairngorm Mountains, Scottish Highlands.Cairngorm Mountains, Scottish Highlands.

From myth busters on Earth to findings on Mars, here are seven facts you may not know about snow.

1. The snowiest place in the UK and Ireland

It will be no surprise to hear that Scotland is the snowiest place in the UK and Ireland, with the Cairngorm Chairlift weather station recording an average of 76.2 days of snow per year.

2. Deepest snow?

The deepest snow ever recorded was near Ruthin, North Wales during the winter of 1946-47. In the March of 1947 1.65m of lying snow was recorded here, thanks to severe drifts.

3. Snow isn't white

It's actually totally clear! Although snowflakes appear white, ice is translucent, meaning light only passes through indirectly, so diffuse reflection through the many sides of the ice crystals causes it to seem white in colour.

4. How fast?

Snow falls at an average speed of 1-4mph, taking around an hour to reach the ground. If any snowflakes become supercooled, and heavier, they can fall a little faster than your regular snowflake.

5. It's never too cold to snow!

It can never be too cold, but it can be too dry!

6. Snow on Mars

According to NASA, during the summer in the north of the planet there could be violent snow storms. With clouds and subsurface ice detected on Mars, snow is certainly plausible.

Scientists also found a cloud of carbon dioxide snowflakes over the southern pole of Mars.

7. Dust must be present

The cold water droplet needs to have dust or pollen particles to freeze onto in the sky to create an ice crystal.

Artificial snow used for winter sportsread more
Weather & Radar editorial team
More on the topic
Split image showing floodwater covering a road and nearby houses in a rural area on the left, and a Spain weather warning map on the right with red and orange zones indicating heavy rainfall, divided by a curved white line.
Thursday 5 February 2026

Fresh storm front

Severe flooding in Spain and Portugal
Temperature map of Europe showing extreme cold in northern Scandinavia with −29 °C at Hemavan and much warmer conditions in southern Spain with 26 °C at Murcia, highlighted by colour gradients and labels.
Friday 6 February 2026

Over 50 degree split

Enormous temperature contrasts in Europe
Icy lighthouse in Sassnitz on Rügen.
Wednesday 4 February 2026

Ice Age on the Baltic Sea

Permanent frost brings a frozen scene
All weather news
This might also interest you
Weather map of the UK and Ireland showing scattered showers with cloudy patches across much of the region, especially around western and northern areas. Sunshine symbols appear over London, Cardiff, and parts of southern England, while temperatures range from 17°C to 18°C in most places. Areas of heavier rain are visible over the Atlantic to the west.
Friday 29 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Unsettled conditions into the weekend
Split image showing a person in a yellow jacket struggling against strong winds and heavy rain on a street at night on the left, and an Irish wind forecast map on the right with red and purple shading, gusts up to 75 mph, and a wind warning icon, divided by a curved white line.
Saturday 24 January 2026

On this day...

Historic Storm Éowyn arrives
Split weather map showing UK wind speeds in orange-red shades up to 40 mph on the left and warning levels in green-yellow on the right, with a central wind warning sign.
Wednesday 22 October 2025

Warnings active

Storm Benjamin impacts the UK
All articles
Weather & Radar
IE
Clima & Radar Brasil
Hava durumu & Radar Türkiye
Időjárás és Radar Magyarország
Καιρός & Ραντάρ Ελλάδα
Météo & Radar Belgique (Français)
Météo & Radar France
Meteo & Radar Italia
Meteo & Radar România
Météo & Radar Suisse (Français)
Meteo & Radars Latvija
OrasOnline Lietuva
Počasí & Radar Czechia
Počasie & Radar Slovensko
Pogoda & Radar Polska
Погода & Радар Україна (українська)
Tempo & Radar Portugal
Tiempo & Radar Argentina
Tiempo & Radar España
Vejr & Radar Danmark
Vreme & Radar Slovenija
Vreme & Radar Srbija
Vrijeme & Radar Bosna
Vrijeme & Radar Crna Gora
Vrijeme & Radar Hrvatska
Време & Радар България
Времето & Радар Macedonia
Weather & Radar India (English)
Weather & Radar United Kingdom
Weather & Radar USA (English)
Weather & Radar USA (Español)
Weer & Radar België (Nederlands)
Weer & Radar Nederland

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwitteryouTubelinkList