Snowballs 101

The key to making a good snowball is exactly what you'd think, the snow.

There are three different types of snow we'll be working with here, Powder, Packing and Slush.

Powder Snow is the least ideal of all snows to make a snowball. Let's face it, it's just not going to stay together. Imagine trying to make a ball out of dry sand. That's pretty much what you're working with when handling Powder. Some have suggested adding a little bit of water to this snow in an attempt to make it closer to packing snow. This is EXTREMELY dangerous and can possibly cause the outer edge of the ball to form an ice layer. Most would suggest not making a snow ball out of Powder.

Packing Snow, now this is where the magic happens. This is the IDEAL snow for a snowball. Heavy and easy to form into a ball, it's every Snowball Fanatic's dream. You'll most often find this type of snow available when temperatures range -5 to 0 degrees Celcius.

Slush Snow is only for the most cruel of Snowball makers. Reserve this type of snow for only the most evil of combatants. Wet and often forming ice quickly, a Slushball can be a devastating attack in a Snowball fight. 

Practical Procedure of Forming a SnowBall:

Form the core of your snowball Make your snowballs roughly the size of a baseball. Cup your hands, place them in the snow, and bring them towards each other. Squeeze the snow together to start compacting the snow into a snowball.

Take what you've learned here, get out there and have some FUN!

Chief Snowball Engineer,  

Michael