snow crystals
Ice crystals whose form depends on temperature and humidity; they fall separately or in agglomerations of flakes.
column
Short translucent ice crystal with flat extremities; it is prism-shaped and occasionally hollow.
plate crystal
Ice crystal in the form of a thin hexagonal plate that is occasionally hollow.
spatial dendrite
Ice crystal characterized by complex branches similar to those of a tree.
irregular crystal
Ice crystal with no defined shape resulting from the agglomeration of several crystals.
snow pellet
Opaque ice crystal less than 0.2 in in diameter that froze inside a cloud.
sleet
Ice crystal less than 0.2 in in diameter that results from rain drops or snow flakes freezing before they touch the ground.
hail
Hard, usually spherical ice crystal that varies between 0.2 and 2 in in diameter; it is formed of concentric layers of clear opaque ice.
capped column
Ice crystal that is identical to the column, except for the thin hexagon-shaped cap at each extremity.
needle
Translucent prism-shaped ice crystal; it is long and narrow and has pointed ends.
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