The Value Of Snow

The white crystals!

By Snarky LisaPublished about a month ago • 3 min read

Snow. What a substance.

Its base has a clear fluid origin, yet its visible form is that of white. It falls as gentle flakes, but it can pile up into malleable stacks. It looks either petite or fluffy, yet it can oftentimes be deadly in large amounts. Who knew how wide its influence could be?

However…its spread is far from universal. As frozen water, snow can only appear in climates cold enough to accommodate its frosty form. Not quite rigid like ice, it only shows up in large, clearly tangible quantities, in lands which harbour winter — be it in January or June (though more commonly the former).

This set of crystals has somewhat different properties and uses depending on its specific type.

As packing snow, it can be rather sticky. Prone to bind itself into almost watery clumps, this natural material is usable for making snowballs, snow forts, and, of course, snowmen. Its tight form may be convenient, but it can also be just as destructive and/or painful when thrown in the wrong vicinity.

By contrast, powder snow is more…crumbly. Reluctant to ever really tighten itself into a clear structure, it is of little use when it comes to trying to create one. Instead, it creates an aesthetic. An atmosphere. A sensation of coolness, sometimes flying into one’s skin. It’s not exactly there for creation of anything tangible — other than itself, of course. It just…is.

Of course, snow isn’t available in its natural outdoor state everywhere in the world. Like its frigid nature, snow is only able to manifest in accommodating climates as potentially chilly as it is. The north, the south: anywhere with either tangible seasons of significant temperature differences or no true summer weather at all.

Snow also isn’t present at all times of year in any particular given temperate or continentally weathered place without being artificially manufactured. Like how winter turns to spring, and spring turns to summer, the substance of white crystalline fluff eventually melts every year before falling again.

At the same time, it is always on planet Earth naturally as a whole at any moment. When the Northern Hemisphere winters, its southern counterpart basks in the heat of summer. This goes for vice versa as well. If there were no natural snow on Earth at all…the planet would likely be in huge trouble, if it hadn’t already gotten woes.

All of this isn’t to say artificially made snow doesn’t have its uses. Indeed, it does. From the scraped powder of ice skaters to the crafts of artisans and amateur but passionate creators alike, man-made snow is also a fact of many lives around the world. It doesn’t simply lack meaning just because its origin differs from its nature-born cousin.

That being said, snow also has a rather dark side despite its bright colour. One of the very things that makes it special — its frigidity — is also very much a double edged sword. If it touches one’s skin too roughly, it can be ruthless. In some extreme cases, it becomes a destroyer — and sometimes, even a killer.

In the end, snow is a complicated substance. It has uses both positive and negative; consequences of good, bad, and everywhere in between.

Whether you like it or not, snow is destined to exist for a very long time, to say the least. This icy material isn’t going away from Earth, the Solar System, or the rest of this universe any time soon — even as the world changes drastically from day to day and night to night.

Any other thoughts on this? Let me know in the comments!