How Do Snowflakes Form?
A snow crystal begins when water vapour deposits as ice around a tiny particle in a cold cloud. The hexagonal arrangement of water molecules…
Oct 1, 2026 • 14 min readExplore clouds, winds, rain and other weather processes, including the observations and measurements used to investigate the atmosphere.

Cloud droplets and ice crystals are heavier than air, so gravity does pull them downward. They remain aloft because individual particles are tiny and have very low terminal speeds, while rising air and turbulence…
Oct 6, 2026 • 13 min readRead the discovery →New stories, explanations and research from Weather.
A snow crystal begins when water vapour deposits as ice around a tiny particle in a cold cloud. The hexagonal arrangement of water molecules…
Oct 1, 2026 • 14 min read
Lightning is a rapid electrical discharge produced when separated charges create an electric field strong enough to break down the insulating air. Thunder is…
Sep 23, 2026 • 14 min read
A snow crystal begins when water vapour deposits as ice around a tiny particle in a cold cloud. The hexagonal arrangement of water molecules…
Oct 1, 2026 • 14 min read
Lightning is a rapid electrical discharge produced when separated charges create an electric field strong enough to break down the insulating air. Thunder is…
Sep 23, 2026 • 14 min readOne remarkable idea at a time—nature, science, history and beyond.