WHY IT'S SNOWING IN JOHANNESBURG
It rarely snows in Johannesburg and other than a phenomenon of global warming, the sudden snowfall is thanks to it being the coldest day since the last snowfall in 2011. For those who might not know, the sky has not turned into heaven's ice machine. Snow needs temperatures as low as 0ºC to form. When this temperature is reached in clouds, particles form tiny ice crystals until they are heavy enough to fall from the sky.
WHY ISN'T IT HAIL?
Besides hail being easy to spot for its rock-like shape, The Weather Channel explains hail forms due to rain droplets freezing. Snowdrops can still cluster together as they fall to form bigger flakes. A mixture of the two is known as sleet. Unlike solid hail rocks, sleet is typically see-through and can bounce when it hits the ground.
IT TASTES LIKE ICE
While no-one is going to stop you sticking your tongue out and taking in the frozen water, you might want to consider the different chemicals it collects before it reaches your face, an article by The Washington Post claims. On the way down, snow can soak up a number of pollutants, including pesticides, soot and mercury. It has also been noted that there are typically harmless amounts found in each of the flakes.
WATERMELON SNOW
Sometimes snow can take on colours other than white, including black, red and brown, but pink snow is famously known as watermelon snow. While it sounds mouthwatering, it can be dangerous to ingest as it contains cold-loving algae.
DRIVING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND
In a story by TimesLIVE, the Johannesburg Roads Agency warned drivers to be “extra careful” on the road. They included tips for driving safely by using fog lights, keeping an eye out for pedestrians, gentle manoeuvring, slowing down on the road and leaving extra distance between you and the driver in front of you.
SNOW SAFETY
For those brave enough to face the cold, snow is as beautiful to play in as it is unpredictable. Experts at Snow Safe say when it sticks to your clothes it makes them wet and when you take into account how rapidly snowfall can change, you have to be prepared to keep yourself warm and dry as you can easily get hypothermia.
Move carefully around areas that may have experienced snowfall as it can form a thin layer of ice not visible to the eye.
FREEZING FOR THE 'GRAM
While getting your fun pics and letting your children stomp around the cold, be aware this is not ideal weather to expose yourself to. Limit the time you spend playing in the snow to an hour at the most.
BUILDING A SNOWMAN
While some may have tried and failed to use the little snowfall in Johannesburg to build a snowman, it's probably because there was not enough to pile up your icy figure. You need about 10cm of snow and it needs to be moist and wet. In an article for BBC's Science Focus, Dr Claire Asher explains that this sort of snow forms when the air temperature is 0 to 2ºC. For those prepared to measure moisture, you need about 3% to 8%, as the melting water acts like a glue to hold the ice together.
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