Snowfall is a rare treat in Taiwan, and therefore, many Taiwanese have little direct experience with it. However, there are many intriguing facts about snow that even Russians, Canadians, or Mongolians may not be aware of.
Perhaps one of the most counterintuitivefacts about snow is that it can actually warmyou up. Because snow is made up of90 to 95% trapped air, it has a way of insulatingpeople—and animals—from freezing temperatures. That’s why animals bury themselves deep in the snow to hibernateduring winter. In addition, snow can have a direct effect on sound, depending onwhen it falls and what state it happens to be in. Freshly-fallen snow absorbs sound waves, which makes an environment seem hushed and quiet. On the other hand, if snow melts and refreezes, the ice that is formed can reflect sound waves, making one’s voice travel further and sound much clearer.
Without a doubt, the most mind-blowingfact about snow is that it isn’t actually white— it’s almost transparent. Due to the fact thatsnowflakeshave many sides, any light hitting them scatters in multiple directions. This diffuses♦ the entire color spectrum, making snow appear to be white. Dust, pollution, and even algaecan affect snow color and cause it to appear black, blue, and even orange.
It is commonly known that the Inuit people of Northern Canada have 50 words for describing snow in its various states. However, what is not so commonly known is that the Scottish language has over 400 snow-related terms. Among the more interesting words are skelf, which means large snowflakes, and spitters, which refers tosmall drops of quickly-moving snow.
