Home » Weather » Can you Predict the Weather with a Snowball?

Can you Predict the Weather with a Snowball?

Some weather watchers look at snow to see what the temperature is above, where the weather is brewing.

There is a belief that dry snowflakes mean that the atmosphere is moderately cold, while damp flakes means that temperatures are on the rise. From this observation, comes this weather lore:

Cut a snowball in half: Wet center means rain; Dry center can only be melted by the sun.

The size doesn't seem to really foretell anything about the weather, however it's interesting to note that no one really seems to know how big a snowflake can get. Snowflakes are actually collections of many snow crystals. On average, a snowflake is usually less than one-half inch across; however, under certain weather conditions, snowflakes can be much larger, close to two inches across.

Want more snow knowledge? Check out our snow glossary.