Science Friday (NPR) – Winter weather means more than sledding and snowmen. Next snowstorm, grab a magnifying glass and try snowflake hunting. Bullet rosettes, stellar plates and capped columns are just a few of the varieties of snow crystal you can find in your backyard. Kenneth Libbrecht, physicist at Caltech and snowflake expert, shares secrets of the snowflake.

Link to source

More information:

• Website: Libbrecht’s Snow Crystal Home.
• More snowflake galleries: Wilson Bently snowflake images, Japan (The Nakaya Museum and Snow Crystals Museum in Asahikawa), Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (Electron Microscopy Unit Snow Page), Kinsman Physics Productions, Mark Cassino Photography, and Hermes Sarapuu nature photography (snowflakes and other natural ice crystals).
• NPR: “Forget Sledding, Try A Snowflake Safari” (Jan. 01, 2010).
• NPR: “What’s Wrong With This Snowflake?” (Dec. 23, 2009).
• NPR: “Mysteries of Snow Revealed” (Jan. 05, 2008).