Have you ever taken the time to examine a snowflake? I mean really, really study it?
I haven’t, at least not since I was a kid. When it snows in New York City, I’m more focused on getting to work without falling face first into a mound of slightly off-color sidewalk snow!
But, the next time it snows, I think I’ll take a closer look. According to Smithsonian.com, there are 39 categories of solid precipitation that can be broken down further into 121 subcategories. Isn’t that kind of amazing?
Take a look at this eye-opening graphic from chemistry teacher Andy Brunning that classifies all the snowflake varieties:
Caltech Physics professor Kenneth G. Libbrecht explains on his snow crystals website, “since snow crystals all follow slightly different paths through the clouds, individual crystals all tend to look different.” So, as the saying goes, no two snowflakes are alike.
That’s even more astounding when you consider that, according to the Library of Congress, “Each winter there are about 1 septillion (1, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000 or a trillion trillion) snow crystals that drop from the sky!” Man alive!
All of this got me wondering. If God put that much care into crafting snowflakes–each with a unique path–can you just imagine how much thought he put into us and our own individual paths? His designs are complex and inexplicable and completely marvelous when you think about it.
I’m almost looking forward to the next snowfall in New York. Until then, take a look at these photos of snowflakes up close–prepare to be dazzled!
Have you ever been floored by God’s designs in nature or beyond? Share your story below!
