The science of snow: What makes snow fluffy vs wet?

An early week storm brought a blanket of fluffy snow across Colorado's Front Range, creating a winter wonderland and bringing lots of fresh powder for skiers in the high country. But what made the snow so light and fluffy?

For skiers and snowboarders, fresh powder snow is easier on your joints and much softer if you fall, making it great for beginners. Snow.com said colder temperatures and steady storms from Jan.-Feb create high-quality snow in the High Country, but the amount of water and ambient temperature plays a large role in the type of precipitation that falls.

According to the National Weather Service, fluffy snow first needs the right percentage of water to snow, called the "snow ratio." The NWS said the "dew point," the temperature at which air must be cooled to become saturated with water vapor, creates the right conditions.

Cold air has a lower capacity to hold water vapor, leading to smaller, lighter snowflakes with more air trapped between them. But that's not the only factor needed.

"In fact, the snow ratios can change dramatically within a snow event itself," said the NWS.

According to the NWS, other variables that change the way the snow forms include:

• Depth of the warm layer from the surface into the snow-producing cloud. The warmer it is (closer to freezing), the lower the ratio will be.
• Amount of ice in the snow-producing cloud. If there are more super-cooled water droplets in the cloud, snow ratios will be lower. If there is a higher amount of ice crystals, snow ratios will be higher.
• If it's windy, snowflakes can fracture, losing their "lacy" structure and leading to lower accumulations (lower snow ratios).
• Deep cold, in general, promotes higher snow ratios.

The NWS SciJinks snow simulator is a fun tool to learn how snow, sleet, and freezing rain are created.