Wunderground.com - 2/04/13, Christopher C. Burt
Although there were no spectacular snowstorms in the contiguous U.S. this past January there were a couple of interesting snow events. On January 20th the residents of Vermont were amazed to find their yards and fields covered with large snow rollers. A week later, on January 27th, giant snowflakes “the size of cotton balls” were observed near Moline, Illinois. Here is a summary of some strange snow events.
A Vermont TV station, WCAX, reports on the snow roller event that occurred in Vermont on January 20, 2013.Video still from WCAX and rebroadcast on CNN and The Weather Channel.
Snow Rollers
This rare and interesting phenomenon occurs when surface conditions are just right following a fresh snowfall. The surface snow must be light and sticky but not too wet. Strong, gusty winds in excess of 30 mph must then ‘scoop’ the fluffy snow into small balls on the surface and then blow the balls along forming small barrels. The stronger the winds and deeper the snow, the larger the barrels or ‘rollers’ become. Of course, the process is the same as making a snowman. Reports of snow rollers up to five or six feet in diameter (the “size of rolled hay bays”) have been reported in the Great Plains but cannot be substantiated.
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