We rarely have snow rollers in Ohio, but conditions were perfect for them up at Urbana!
They are everywhere on our campus
Wind drives wet snow across previously fallen, icy snow until it makes a little ball
As that ball is pushed by the wind, it is shaped into a roll!
Here you see a range from little lumps to big rollers
When the wind can't move it anymore, the roller stops
They are mostly hollow
Generally a bit longer than they are thick
And they leave trails as they roll!
Ours range in size from little 2-3 inch rollers to big ones over a foot in diameter
This roller is OBVIOUSLY tired of traveling
The rollers formed on many of our open fields!
Our softball field...
Looks like a roller coral, now!
Here you can see how they are formed
Mostly hollow
Often with obvious layering
And generally with a kind of fluting on the outside
We had some big ones out on our soccer field!
That is the windiest part of campus, for sure
But the little rollers are just as cute :-)
8 comments:
I mentioned these in my blog yesterday. They are so cool. I'd never even heard of such things before.
S
I have never seen anything like these over here!! Only if you roll it yourself...fabulous...and great pics.
Until they mentioned these on the weather news here the other day, I had never heard of them before, either!
I'd put up with frozen toes and fingers to be able to get photos of them.
Alas, I'll just be happy looking at your fantastic pictures.
I guess West Virginia isn't flat enough for snow to roll. We're more the icicle-covered cliffs sort of folks.
I love seeing these!
Amazing! You must have had some really strong winds.
Wow! I have never heard of such a thing and I lived where we had huge snow drifts. Maybe that's it, the wind blew too hard?
Interesting! I've never seen anything like these. Granted, I'm from Florida, but even my partner -- a Michigander -- was surprised by them!
I had never heard of this! What great photos -- the wide variety makes them easier to understand. I'm with Karen -- not enough flat around here to form those, I don't think!
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