Other droplets freeze onto the crystal, forming the six arms of the snowflake. The crystal structure of the snowflake is mostly determined by temperature as it forms. A change in a degree or two ...

Like snowflakes, supporting Science News can take ... rows that form more hexagons as additional water molecules join the crystal. Scientists now know that H 2 O takes on a six-sided structure ...

This rare 12-armed crystal is the result of two snowflakes bonding on their fall through the clouds. The icy speckles covering this snowflake result from water droplets freezing onto its surface ...