Hurricanes, tornadoes and floods are nature's most noticeable and violent manifestations of destruction. They come with a sudden impulse of force, shocking the landscape and people without hinting at their potential danger.
But snow is different. Falling flake by flake in eerie silence, this form of weather appears calm and majestic, never hinting at the possible harm it can cause.
Though snow manifests itself in many ways, man has attempted to create a better form of it by engineering snowmaking, though by doing so, he has allowed it to become even more dangerous.
Different types of snow
High in the atmosphere, at an elevation of about 12,000 feet, the life of a snowflake begins.
"Most forms of precipitation start off as snow," said Jerry Stenger, Virginia Climatology Office research coordinator.
Because of cold temperatures at high elevations, the water molecules all coalesce into snow, Stenger said. As the snowflake falls through the air to the ground, it is the temperature profile that determines the form of precipitation that falls.
If the temperature in the column of air beneath the cloud is warm, then the snow will melt and become rainwater, Stenger said.
But he said if it remains cold, then snowflakes result, as opposed to sleet, which is what happens when the snow melts slightly and becomes an icy form of precipitation that reaches the ground.
"The most dangerous situation is when the snow melts and then refreezes on contact with the surface," he added.
This phenomenon, known as freezing rain, wreaks havoc on the world below, weighing down power lines, branches and causing slippery situations, Stenger said.
Charlottesville lies on the edge of different air mass regions, which makes it difficult to predict what kind of winter mix will affect the region, he said.
The University's State Climatology Office has been developing a model called the Discriminate Analytical Mixture Precipitation, which is used by the National Weather Service to aid in predicting the winter mix.
"It's been quite successful in helping make forecasts for the past two seasons," Stenger said.
The office will continue to develop the model, he said.
Deadly melt
The gently falling snowflakes and the beautiful icicles that decorate rooftops are not what they seem to be.
"The snow falling outside right now is acidic," Environmental Science Prof. James Galloway said.
Like the way acid rain forms, acid snow starts when water particles in the atmosphere mix with toxic fossil fuel emissions and then fall to the ground.
"The acidity of the snow in this region is approximately five times the normal level," Galloway said.
The pollutants are from upwind regions coming from Ohio and the west along with the jetstream, he said.
Though people still may consume the snow and not suffer from it, a negative effect on the environment still exists.
"The soil pH levels are more acidic. Plants, streams are all affected by it," Galloway said.
Making snow
Donny Falls is the daytime snowmaking supervisor at Wintergreen Resort, which means he spends a lot of time with his "guns."
That's what he calls the snowmaking machines he uses to coat the slopes with artificial snow.
"There's no other feeling like it," Falls said. "You've got all this power rushing out of your gun, and it's just awesome."
Falls has been working at Wintergreen for eight years, mastering the art of making snow.
He cautions, however, that the ski slope snow they make isn't really like the natural snow that fell on Charlotttesville earlier this week.
"Natural snow is too dry, not good for skiing," Falls said.
So, the snow made by one of the hundred-odd snow guns at Wintergreen is specially engineered to allow the skier the best situation possible in terms of traction and consistency.
Making up to 4,500 gallons of snow a minute, Falls said shifts of about two to six snowmakers work the slopes around the clock to allow for skiing and other snow sports to take place throughout the winter season.
To deal with temperature problem, Falls said Wintergreen sometimes uses an enzyme called Snowmax that allows snow to be made at a higher temperature, up to about 37 or 38 degrees.
"We mix it in with the natural snow on the ground," he said, so there can be a good mix in consistency and so it will last longer.
"It's awesome how you can have a 25-inch pile of snow where there was only grass before," he added.
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