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Did it snow yet?

Appropriately enough for Dec. 1, the forecasters were warning we may get our first appreciable snowfall of the season today. Whether we get much or any of the white stuff or not, we all know it's heading our way sooner or later — so here, in honor of snowfalls either here or yet to come, we offer a few interesting tidbits and facts about our favorite form of wintertime precipitation. Get your boots and mittens ready, kids — and enjoy.

• Did you know that every snowflake is completely different from the next? There is no set pattern to form a snowflake.

• Snowflakes are not white. They are translucent like glass. Snow looks white because you see the light reflected by the many angles of the flake.

• Snowflakes are not frozen raindrops; they are ordinary ice. Snowflakes are created when ice condenses directly from water vapor in the air.

• Differences in temperature determine the type of snowflakes produced. When the weather is just below freezing, thin, platelike crystals form. Slender columns and needles form when it is a few degrees colder. Large photogenic flakes appear when the temperature is around 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Snowflakes gain their intriguing and symmetrical designs while being blown around inside clouds, developing a new crystal with each move. Because each snowflake does not take the same path, no two are alike.

• The most snow in one month for the Miami Valley was in February 1910: 31.6 inches fell over the Dayton area that month.

• The largest snowstorm in the state of Ohio ever recorded was Jan. 26, 1978, dubbed "The Great Blizzard." Only 15 inches of snow were recorded; however, the high winds combined with the snow created drifts 15 to 25 feet high in some parts of the state.

• Snow doesn't just fall from October to March. Ohio's latest recorded snowfall was on May 21, 1883. According to the Sidney Journal, 15 to 20 inches fell that day.

• "The Great Thanksgiving Storm" of November 1950 was the deepest in Ohio's history and credited with providing Ohio the record for a 24-hour snowfall. In Steubenville, 36.3 inches fell during a three-day period. The OSU vs. Michigan game was played in Columbus despite the conditions. The game was named "The Snow Bowl." Sadly, Michigan won 9-3.

• The average annual amount of snowfall in the Miami Valley is 30 inches. (www.dot.state.oh.us/snowmap.htm)

Terms to keep in mind with snow arriving:

• A heavy snow WARNING is defined as at least 4 inches of snow in 12 hours for southern Ohio.

• A winter storm WATCH is issued when meteorologists see the possibility of snowfall of 6 inches or more and/or freezing rain within 12 to 24 hours.

• A winter storm WARNING is issued when 6 or more inches of snow and/or freezing rain is imminent within the next 12 hours.

• A winter weather advisory is issued when two or more winter weather hazards are expected at the same time (i.e., snow, freezing rain and/or dangerous wind chills).

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2270 or kgarrett@DaytonDailyNews.com.

• Snow doesn't just fall from October to March. Ohio's latest recorded snowfall was on May 21, 1883. According to The Sidney Journal, 15 to 20 inches fell that day.

• "The Great Thanksgiving Storm" of November 1950 was the deepest in Ohio's history and credited with providing Ohio the record for a 24-hour snowfall. In Stuebenville, 36.3 inches fell during a three-day period in Stuebenville. The OSU vs Michigan game was played in Columbus despite the conditions. The game was named The Blizzard Bowl. Sadly Michigan won 9-3.

• The average annual amount of snowfall in the Miami Valley is 30 inches. (www.dot.state.oh.us/snowmap.htm)

Terms to keep in mind with snow arriving:

• A heavy snow WARNING is defined as at least 4 inches of snow in 12 hours for southern Ohio.

• A winter storm WATCH is issued when meteorologists see the possibility of snowfall of 6 inches or more and/or freezing rain within 12 to 24 hours.

• A winter storm WARNING is issued when 6 or more inches of snow and/or freezing rain is imminent within the next 12 hours.

• A winter weather advisory is issued when two or more winter weather hazards are expected at the same time (i.e., snow, freezing rain and/or dangerous wind chills).

Sources:

Ken Libbrecht, Field Guide to Snowflakes (Voyageur, $12.95).

Weather Terms: www.weathernet5.com.

Record snowfalls: Thunder in the Heartland; A Chronicle of Outstanding Weather Events in Ohio, by Thomas A.W. Schmidlin & Jeanne Appelhans Schmidlin (Kent State University Press).

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2270 or kgarrett@DaytonDailyNews.com