Hey Ray: Snow rollers
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Some things become more interesting when you roll them up.
Snow is one of those things!
Love it or hate it, snow is no stranger to our area. Snow, however, can do a little more than blanket the area and give us snow days.
Snow can roll.
When the conditions are just right, snow can start to roll on its own. When it does, it creates a snow roller. These can be very small or quite large.
Snow rollers need very specific ingredients. Obviously, you need snow for these to form. You need enough of it to cover the ground. You also need moisture.
The moisture is important because you want the snow to be sticky enough to hold together.
If the snow is too dry, the snow roller will fall apart. If it is too wet, it will just turn to mush. From there you need the perfect wind speeds.
You want enough wind to get the snow to roll, but not too much wind. If it is too windy, the snow rollers will blow apart.
Gravity can create snow rollers, too. While many form with the wind, the National Weather Service says some are formed by gravity. That means the snow starts rolling downhill.
It still needs the perfect, sticky snow, but instead of wind, the snow rolls because of the hill.