In Reno, we get snow every year. The amount of snow and timing fluctuates significantly from year to year, but we wait for it and expect it regardless. Snow consists of ice crystals that form in clouds high in the sky. They then fall to the ground and accumulate into a layer of snow. Clouds are made of water vapor, which is water in its gaseous form. When the atmosphere where the clouds are gets too cold the water vapor condenses directly into ice, skipping the liquid water phase, and falling to the ground as snow. Snow is considered a mineral because it’s a naturally occurring inorganic, homogeneous solid.
