• The Dubious World's Largest Snowflake Record

  • Jan 3 2025
  • Length: 11 mins
  • Podcast

The Dubious World's Largest Snowflake Record

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  • Summary

  • Snowflakes. These intricate, whimsical crystals are a staple of magical wintry scenes, but how big can they really get? Well, according to the Guinness World Record keepers, the "largest snowflake" ever recorded was a whopping 15 inches in diameter. It was spotted near Missoula, Montana in 1887. But Kenneth Libbrecht, a physicist at Caltech, has long been skeptical of that record. So he set out to find what makes a snowflake a snowflake and whether that 1887 record is scientifically possible. You can read more about what he discovered here. (encore)

    Want to share the snowflakes you've spotted this winter? Email us a photo at shortwave@npr.org.

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