Snow and Ice Science
This is the temperature at which water freezes
What is 32 degrees Fahrenheit / 0 degrees Celsius
This U.S. state holds the record for the coldest temperature ever recorded in the country
What is Alaska
In January 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued this order freeing enslaved people in Confederate states
What is the Emancipation Proclamation
Instead of hibernating, this rodent buries hundreds of nuts in the fall and retrieves them during winter
What is a Squirrel
This bright constellation, shaped like a hunter, is one of the most visible in the winter sky and has three stars forming a “belt.”
What is Orion's Belt
Snowflakes usually have this number of sides
What is Six
This desert is the coldest desert on Earth, despite being extremely dry
What is the Antarctic Desert
January 28, 1986 marks the tragic explosion of this NASA space shuttle shortly after launch
What is the Space Shuttle Challenger
This marine mammal has a spiral tusk that can grow up to 10 feet and is often called the “unicorn of the sea"
What is a Narwhal
This zodiac constellation represents a lion
What is Leo
This weather term describes frozen raindrops that bounce when they hit the ground
What is Sleet
This frozen form of carbon dioxide sublimates at −109°F and is commonly called this
What is "Dry Ice"
This U.S. state became the 49th state on January 3, 1959
What is Alaska
This large marine mammal uses its tusks to dig through ice and can weigh over 3,000 pounds
What is a walrus
This well-known asterism, part of Ursa Major, looks like a giant ladle in the night sky
What is the Big Dipper
This index estimates the rate of heat loss from exposed skin due to wind and cold air
What is wind chill
This temperature scale is used by scientists and begins at absolute zero. It is not Celsius or Fahrenheit.
What is the Kelvin scale
On January 24, 1848, this precious metal was discovered at Sutter’s Mill, starting this major event
What is the California Gold Rush
This large herbivore grows thick fur and has wide hooves to walk on snow and dig for vegetation beneath ice
What is a caribou (reindeer)
This is the only zodiac constellation that does not represent a living creature
What is Libra(represented by a libra scale)
This process causes snow to slowly turn directly into water vapor without melting first
What is sublimation
The coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth was −128.6°F at this Antarctic research station
What is Vostok Station
This famous treaty ending World War I was debated but never ratified by the U.S. Senate in January 1920
What is the Treaty of Versailles
This small Arctic mammal can survive extreme cold by reducing its body temperature and metabolic rate without fully hibernating
What is a lemming
Known as the “Big Dog,” this constellation follows Orion and contains the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius
What is Canis Major