MOLINE, Ill. — Snowflakes are frozen water crystals that can never be an exact replica of another. However, snowflakes can be classified into these broader types: dendrites, plates, columns, needles, ...

Above: A hexagonal (six-sided) snow crystal, classified as a stellar dendrite. This crystal was photographed with an Olympus TG-6 camera after it landed on the sleeve of the authors fleece jacket.

A snowflake is a small weather feature that can pack a big punch. Many are made up of just one single ice crystal while some, more elaborate snowflakes are comprised of as many as 200 ice crystals ...