Snow Roller

weather · snow · rare phenomenon

Nature's snowball machine. Snow rollers form when chunks of snow get blown by wind or roll downhill, picking up more snow with each rotation. It's like nature is building a giant snowball without any hands.

Wildly different sizes. Most snow rollers are just a few inches wide, but they can grow as big as a tennis ball or even larger than a car. The size depends on how far they roll and how much snow they pick up.

Needs perfect conditions. Snow rollers are super rare because they only form when the weather and snow are just right. You need wet, sticky snow and strong wind or a good hill, all happening at the exact same time.

Looks like a log. When snow rollers get big, they look like giant frozen logs lying on the ground. Sometimes you can see the layers of snow wrapped around them, like tree rings in a snow cylinder.