Snow is frozen water. It is made up of tiny, six-sided ice crystals, which form on dust particles inside very cold clouds. The crystals grow in size and join together. They become heavy and drop down through the clouds. There are different crystal shapes, but they are always six-sided or have six branches coming out of a central core. Each snowflake is different. Snow is useful because when it melts, it fills rivers and dams. Because it melts slowly, snow doesn't usually cause flooding. Snow is also fun. People ski on it and play in it.
Dangers of Snow
Snow can be dangerous for farm animals when it is very heavy, and difficult to walk through. It covers the food they eat and freezes the water. Snow is also dangerous for traffic when it piles up on the roads. Additionally, heavy snow storms can lower visibility and impair vehicular travel. Snow may be very dangerous as an avalanche. An avalanche is a large mass of snow that slips down a mountain. Many people have been killed by avalanches along history.