Quote:
Originally Posted by Wittmann
Just out of interest - you can check it on the web, the largest snowflake ever observed was reportedly 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick. I assume wide means corner to corner.
This is the record-holder for the largest known snowflake. It was found in Ft. Keough, Montana in 1887.
I bet if that hit you on the head, it would be curtains.
One UK gallon of water weighs 10 lbs.
With a length from corner to corner of 15 ins. a regular hexagon has an area of 146.142 sq.ins. x depth of 8 ins, Volume = approx 1,169 cub.ins.
One UK gallon has a volume of 277.42 cub.ins.
That snowflake allowing for 50% air content would weigh - 0.5 x 1169 x 10/277.42 = 21 lbs.
That would descend at one hell of a speed and momentum - then BANG - you are gone !
|
Everyone else has already went over the mass, but, the assumption that the mass of a snowflake would decide its descent velocity is flawed at best.
As you already said, snowflakes are complex things, but one constant is that they all generally fall at a gentle rate compared to hail and rain because they are less dense than these items. So, while large, the density of the snowflake should be comparable to a small one, so should fall at the same rate.
After all, a feather weighing a tonne would still fall like a feather because it is other factors, like surface area and aerodynamics, drag etc that determine the fall rate, the same applies here. The reason it would've been able to be observed, and likely isn't a wind up is for that reason, it would likely have fell to the ground safely, like most snowflakes.