To grow snow crystals, you need air that is very cold and super saturated, meaning the humidity is above 100%. Under these conditions, crystals will form on a nucleation point, like a string, where water vapor molecules attach and build a crystal structure.
Here's a breakdown of the process:
- Cold Temperatures: The air must be significantly below freezing.
- High Humidity (Super Saturation): The air must hold more moisture than it normally can at that temperature. This creates the necessary vapor pressure for ice crystals to form.
- Nucleation Point: This is a surface (e.g., a dust particle, a string, or a specially designed substrate) that the water vapor molecules can attach to. The molecules then freeze onto this point and start to build the ice crystal lattice.
- Crystal Growth: Water vapor molecules from the air continue to attach to the ice crystal, causing it to grow in size and complexity. The specific temperature and humidity levels influence the shape of the snow crystal.
