Snowflakes are actually very complex patterns at the microscopic level.
In this project we will refer to snowflakes as snow crystals because it is the elementary form of which they are made. But before we can call them snow crystals they first form as ice crystals. The life of an ice crystal is played out in many ways but there are two common ways. The crystal can fall to the earth in its original formation, and this really only happens in the insanely cold regions of the Artic and Antarctic. However, what is even more common throughout the world is that the ice crystal may grow into a snow crystal.