PITTSBURGH — Several WPXI-TV Facebook fans have sent us pictures of "snow rollers" that have appeared throughout the area on Monday.
According to Severe Weather Team 11 meteorologist Scott Harbaugh, snow rollers are a rare phenomenon in this part of the country when the wind rolls its own snowballs, much the same way we would roll snowballs to build a snowman.
“They are typically cylindrical in shape and often have a hollow center,” Harbaugh said. “They form under specific conditions when the temperature is near freezing and the snow is wet and loose.”
Harbaugh (@WPXIScott) said wind has to be a perfect speed so it can move the snow rollers along, but not destroy them.
“They are common in areas with a slight slope because gravity can help roll the snow into rollers,” Harbaugh said.
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