How do ice crystals effect the climate?!?
Winter is here, snow is falling in many areas of the country, and some of us are already wishing for the return of hot summer days. But, would you believe that even on the hottest summer day the temperature inside some clouds remains icy and winter-like, producing temperature readings as cold as negative 70 degrees Celsius (negative 94 degrees Fahrenheit)? Would you also believe that the ice crystals that form at the top of big summertime clouds may help scientists predict next winter’s snowstorm? ce crystals come in thousands of different shapes and sizes. Image right: Seen here is a profile of ice crystals, showing the diversity of their shapes. The larger crystals toward the bottom of the image occur at warmer temperatures (approximately -37 degrees Celsius, or -34.6 Fahrenheit), while the smaller images at the top occur at colder temperatures (approximately -49 Celsius, or -52.6 Fahrenheit). At nearly 150 micrometers wide, some of the largest ice crystals in this image are about as
