Although the ice is clear, scattering of light by the crystal facets and hollows/imperfections mean that the crystals often appear white in color due to diffuse reflection of the whole spectrum of light by the small ice particles. ===Classification of snowflakes=== Micrography of thousands of snowflakes from 1885 onward, starting with Wilson Alwyn Bentley, revealed the wide diversity of snowflakes within a classifiable set of patterns.
Mount Baker received of snow, thus surpassing the previous record holder, Mount Rainier, Washington, which during the 1971–1972 season received of snow. Highest seasonal average annual snowfall – The world record for the highest average annual snowfall is , measured in Sukayu Onsen, Japan for the period of 1981–2010. Largest snowflake – According to Guinness World Records, the world's largest snowflake fell in January 1887 outside present-day Miles City, Montana.
Mount Baker received of snow, thus surpassing the previous record holder, Mount Rainier, Washington, which during the 1971–1972 season received of snow. Highest seasonal average annual snowfall – The world record for the highest average annual snowfall is , measured in Sukayu Onsen, Japan for the period of 1981–2010. Largest snowflake – According to Guinness World Records, the world's largest snowflake fell in January 1887 outside present-day Miles City, Montana.
A study of Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent for the period 1972–2006 suggests a reduction of over the 35-year period. ===Records=== The following are world records regarding snowfall and snowflakes: Highest seasonal total snowfall – The world record for the highest seasonal total snowfall was measured in the United States at Mt.
Mount Baker received of snow, thus surpassing the previous record holder, Mount Rainier, Washington, which during the 1971–1972 season received of snow. Highest seasonal average annual snowfall – The world record for the highest average annual snowfall is , measured in Sukayu Onsen, Japan for the period of 1981–2010. Largest snowflake – According to Guinness World Records, the world's largest snowflake fell in January 1887 outside present-day Miles City, Montana.
Melting, compacting, blowing and drifting contribute to the difficulty of measuring snowfall. ===Distribution=== Glaciers with their permanent snowpacks cover about 10% of the earth's surface, while seasonal snow covers about nine percent, mostly in the Northern Hemisphere, where seasonal snow covers about , according to a 1987 estimate.
Baker Ski Area, outside of the city of Bellingham, Washington during the 1998–1999 season.
A 2007 estimate of snow cover over the Northern Hemisphere suggested that, on average, snow cover ranges from a minimum extent of each August to a maximum extent of each January or nearly half of the land surface in that hemisphere.
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