| Term: | Snow garland |
| Definition: |
A rare and beautiful phenomenon in which snow is festooned from trees, fences, etc., in the form of a rope of snow, several feet long and several inches in diameter, formed and sustained by surface tension acting in thin films of water bonding individual crystals. Such garlands form only when the surface temperature is close to the melting point, for only then will the requisite films of slightly supercooled water exist. AMSglossary
GCW |