Snowflake in the same micro-environment does not guarantee that each arm grow the same; indeed, for some crystal forms it does not because the underlying crystal growth mechanism also affects how fast each surface region of a crystal grows. Empirical studies suggest less than 0.1% of snowflakes exhibit the ideal six-fold symmetric shape. Very occasionally twelve branched snowflakes are observed; they maintain the six-fold symmetry. Snowflakes form in a wide variety of intricate shapes, leading to the notion that "no two are alike". Although nearly-identical snowflakes have been made in laboratory, they are very unlikely to be found in nature. Initial
The Snowflakes Sail Gently Down The Snowflakes Sail Gently Down "The Snowflakes Sail Gently Down" is a poem by Nigerian writer Gabriel Okara. It contemplates its speaker's feelings on having left Africa and its culture. <poem style="margin-left:2em"> The snow flakes sail gently down from the misty eye of the sky and fall lightly lightly on the winter-weary elms. And the branches, winter-striped and nude, slowly with the weight of the weightless snow bow like grief-stricken mourners as white funeral cloth is slowly unrolled over deathless earth. And dead sleep stealthily from the heater rose and closed my eyes with the touch of silk cotton of