Snow Rollers

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Introduction

A strange and interesting phenomenon sometimes occurs during the winter months. Imagine yourself walking through your yard, then you see a pile of snow shaped like a doughnut! Who or what caused this? Find out as we explore the strange phenomenon known as snow rollers. 
                                                                                                     Photo Credit Mike Stanford

What are Snow Rollers?

A snow roller, or snow doughnuts is a rare phenomenon that occurs when large snowballs are naturally formed. Snow rollers mainly form in remote areas of Northern Europe and the North American prairies. Often the snow roller will look like a man made creation, but these snow rollers are naturally created. Snow rollers are often fragile and may crumble if even slightly touched.
The snow roller phenomenon is rare because a large number of weather conditions need to be in place for one to form. These conditions include moisture, snow, ice, temperature, and wind.     

Weather Conditions Needed to Create Snow Rollers.

For a snow roller to form the following conditions need to be met, which include:

  • The temperature must be near melting point, and a thin layer of loose wet snow must be on the landscapes surface.

  • The wet snow also must not stick to anything underneath it. Like powered snow or ice.

  • The wind needs to be powerful enough to move the newly formed snow roller, but not so powerful that the snow roller breaks apart.

  • Gravity can also create a snow roller if the snow roller is located in an area like the top of a hill.

                                                                                                       Photo Credit Perduejn


How are Snow Rollers Formed?

A snow roller is created when snow is blown across the ground by wind. The moving snow picks up additional material, and gets larger and larger as the wind moves it across the ground. The process in which a snow roller is formed is very similar to a person rolling snow to create a snowman. 

Snow Rollers Sizes and Shapes

Snow rollers come in all sizes. Some can be the size of a tennis ball, while larger ones can be one and half feet tall. However, it is rare for a snow roller to get this large. The normal size of a snow roller is between 10 and 12 inches.
Most snow rollers are a cylindrical or round shape, with hollow insides. This is because the inner layers are the first layers form. These inner layers are very thin and weak compared to the rollers outer layers. The inner layers can also be easily blown away, which is how some snow rollers get a doughnut shape look.
                                                                                                     Photo Credit I, Petr Dlouhy

Snow Rollers in Pennsylvania

In 2014 a large amount of snow and high winds caused hundreds of snow rollers to form in Oil City Pennsylvania. Residents living in the area described snow rollers in the shapes of bowling balls and, rolls of paper towels. 500 tootsie roll sized snow rollers were also formed in one field! 

Have I seen Snow Rollers?

I have only seen a few small snow rollers once. This sighting occurred at my Grandparents old house, which had a large hill. I remember one day going outside to play when I noticed three small snowballs at the foot of the hill with a small trail behind them. These snow rollers were nothing impressive just three small snowballs. I remember this story well because when I showed my Grandmother the snowballs that had formed overnight she told me. “The little men living in the trees did it.” This caused me to spend the next few visits at Grandma’s house trying to find the little men in the trees. 
                                                                                                  Photo Credit Chris Geelhart

Conclusion

 Snow rollers are indeed a strange phenomenon that occurs during the winter months. During these months keep an eye out for snow rollers. Who knows maybe you will get lucky and find a snow doughnut. Well, that concludes this week’s post. Join me next time as we explore wildlife in my backyard and other nature topics.

References and Additional Resources

Amusing Planet. (2018). Snow Roller: A Strange Meteorological Phenomenon. Retrieved from http://www.amusingplanet.com/2012/12/snow-roller-strange-meteorological.html
NPR. (2018). Snow Doughnuts Are the Real Thing. Retrieved from 
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8993287
SCIENCEALERT. (N.D.). Meet nature's self-rolling snow doughnuts. Retrieved from http://www.sciencealert.com/snow-doughnuts
Snow rollers: Pennsylvania wind and snow create rare 'snow roller' display. (2014). Associated Press. Retrieved from 
https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2014/0127/Snow-rollers-Pennsylvania-wind-and-snow-create-rare-snow-roller-display

Photo Credit  

 Chris Geelhart, employee of the US National Weather Service - http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ilx/events/roller/roller.php, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7752012

Mike Stanford
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8993287

Perduejn - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,
 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56177921

I, Petr Dlouhý, CC BY-SA 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2230547

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