How Do Snowflakes Form?

Huge snowstorms and blizzards dump feet of snow from the skies every year, and that means trillions of tiny snowflakes. Through advances in crystallography, scientists have learned a lot about the structure of snowflakes. While they all start pretty much the same, once they start crystallizing, it’s true that no two snowflakes are alike. In fact, the number of possible shapes is staggering.