Why are snow flakes symmetrical in shape?

Water molecules in the solid state, such as in ice and snow, form weak bonds (called hydrogen bonds) to one another. These ordered arrangements result in the basic symmetrical, hexagonal shape of the snowflake. read more

Snowflakes are symmetrical because they reflect the internal order of the water molecules as they arrange themselves in the solid state (the process of crystallization). Water molecules in the solid state, such as in ice and snow, form weak bonds (called hydrogen bonds) to one another. read more

Snowflakes are ice crystals that form in clouds when the air temperature up there gets below freezing. Water molecules are in the air as a gas called water vapor. read more

Not all snowflakes are symmetrical. One can disrupt the symmetry quite easily by introducing impurities or some mechanical artifact. In nature, snowflakes have plenty of time to form and it is more natural for them to form symmetric shapes because of the molecular structure of water. read more