Have you ever heard anything about what is called snow rollers? It is one of the rarest meteorological phenomena that can be seen around the world. This natural and unique phenomenon is not common and it cannot be seen in several places. Do you want to know how these snow rollers are formed? Here is the answer. Snow rollers are naturally formed by the strong wind that picks up moist snow with it when it blows over a snowy ground and forms shapes that look like cylinders or rollers. The most suitable places for forming these snow rollers are the mountainous and hilly terrain which are higher than the surface of the ground to allow the snow rollers to be easily created in large sizes when they roll down.
Most of the snow rollers are hollow in the middle and that is why they are called rollers because if they are complete, then they will form what looks like massive balls and not cylinders. The outer layers are stronger than the inner ones which are thin and weak and that is why they are easily destroyed to form hollow rollers. Snow rollers can keep growing until they become in the same size of barrels and larger to be about two feet in diameter. The only thing that can stop these snow rollers and prevent them from growing anymore is to be massive in their sizes to the extent that strong winds become unable to move them on the ground.
There are specific natural conditions that are required for forming these unique and rare snow rollers. There should be an open space to allow the snow rollers to grow as large as possible when they are blown on the ground and an icy ground as these ice rollers need a ground that is covered by ice in order not to make snow stick in the ground. The snow should be there on the icy ground and this snow must be loose and wet to be easily blown. The strong wind is needed for starting the process of creating the snow rollers. If the blowing wind is not strong, then it is impossible for the rollers to be formed or even the snow to be moved from its place.
Gravity can play an important role in forming snow rollers as the higher the place is, the easier the process of creating the rollers will be. It is difficult to find all of these factors available at one place and that is why this phenomenon is considered as being rare and unique for many people especially those who do not live at icy or snowy places. There are many names that are used for describing this magnificent phenomenon such as “snow rollers”, “Swiss roll”, “snow logs”, “snow onions” because of being formed in layers, “snow doughnuts” and “snow pipes” because they are formed in cylinders.