The building blocks. This is a rod with the beginnings of two caps, so technically you could call it a capped column 6 sides to this, just not in the way we are used to with snow. A lot of snow that falls is actually just rods as it tends to snow the most when at temperatures that only support basic structures like this. I need to try again, didn't quite capture this guy perfectly but something that is smaller than 1mm is really hard to capture.

[MikeNArk]

It's cool to see the beginning building block for a snow flake. Nice structure. Good shot.

[angkymac]

So that is the beginning component of most snowflakes!
Just a simple hexagonal crystal.
Angky.

[aitrus3]

So that is the beginning component of most snowflakes!
Just a simple hexagonal crystal.
Angky.

yup it comes in a few different shapes. Columns, hollow columns, rods, and "spikes" or spears where one end is a point. Sometimes plate crystals form without one of these building blocks, but usually there is a column there.