"Snow rollers" . . . . Snow rollers are showing up in central Ohio, like this one in Whetstone Park in Columbus. Snow rollers are formed naturally when wind blows chunks of snow around and picks up more snow material along the way, according to the National Weather Service. What are snow rollers? Weird weather phenomenon sweeps Midwest Conditions have to be perfect — as in, frigid, snowy and windy — for the Mother Nature-made snow sculptures to form. The bales of snow were scattered across several states on Monday.
BY TRACY MILLER / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
PUBLISHED: TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2014, 1:24 PM
UPDATED: TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2014, 1:24 PM
JERRY SOWDEN/AP
Snow rollers dot a field near Oil City, Pa., on Monday. Snow rollers are the result of an ideal combination of temperature, snow and wind.
This winter storm is on a roll.
Weekend snowfall and icy temperatures across the Midwest brought on a rarely seen weather phenomenon: the snow roller.
JERRY SOWDEN/AP
Beth Schmader and her dog, Porsche, deviate from their normal moring walk through the woods to check out the field of snow rollers across the road from her home near Oil City, Pa.
Also called "snow bales," "wind snowballs" or "snow donuts," the cylindrical snowballs are sculpted by the wind and scattered across wide-open spaces. As icy gusts of air blow snow across the ground, the balls form and grow in size.
Conditions have to be just right for the weird weather phenomenon to occur. According to the National Weather Service, the snow on the ground must be icy and crusty, preventing falling snow from sticking. About an inch of loose, wet snow must accumulate, along with strong winds to scoop it up. And it helps if the area is somewhat hilly.
JERRY SOWDEN/AP
The cylindrical formations are also known as 'snow donuts,' 'snow logs' or 'snow bales,' among other nicknames.
The snow cylinders can be hollow, and can vary in size, growing as large as a foot in diameter.
Local news outlets in states such as Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania reported on the snowy sculptures Monday, with some local residents saying they had yards full of them. They were also a hit on social media, as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram users rushed to share their favorite photos.
“They’re very cool to see, very rare to see. The conditions have to be perfect,” Eric Elwell, a meteorologist with WBNS-TV in Columbus, Ohio, told the Columbus Dispatch.
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