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Do you want to build a snowman?

As soon as the first flake falls each winter, thoughts turn to snowy games.

Snowball fights and sledging are regular winter pastimes if the weather is right, as well as, of course, snowman building.

We’ve all got an image of the ideal snowman. Stones for buttons, carrots for the nose and maybe even a hat and scarf.

But what conditions do we need to maximise our chances of building the perfect winter pal? �鶹������ҳ��� Bitesize wraps up warm and explores the science of snowmen and why we even make them in the first place.

A snowy selfie

It’s difficult to say for certain when we saw our first Frosty or Olaf – but snowman expert and illustrator Bob Eckstein believes snowmen are as old as their human counterparts.

Bob, author of The History of the Snowman and The Illustrated History of the Snowman, says it’s possible we first built them in prehistoric times as humans have always made depictions of themselves, as well as art. But with snowmen, of course, none of it would have survived.

While the creations themselves no longer exist, Bob says there is proof of our snowy art from around 650 years ago.

“The earliest evidence is a snowman illustration in the margins of a Book of Hours (a handwritten, illustrated Christian prayer book) from 1380."

But as well as their depictions, Bob thinks the snowmen themselves should be considered art.

“Centuries ago, building snowmen was a chance for people to express themselves, with free art supplies dropping from the sky in front of their doorstep.

“Man has always had that primal instinct to make selfies. We love ourselves!

“It may be the only chance for someone to make a life size statue of themselves.”

Cold as ice?

So, we know the why, but what about the how? How do we make not just a snowman, but the perfect snowman?

First – and this may sound a little obvious – you need snow. It may surprise you to learn that it doesn’t need to be freezing for snow to fall though.

The Met Office say that if rain falls persistently through air with a temperature even as high as 6°C, it may cause the air temperature to fall low enough to form snow. This can only happen with continuous rainfall as this can cool the air that surrounds it.

That said, the warmer it is, the higher the chance the snow could melt before it reaches the ground. This is what leads to a mixture of raindrops and snow, otherwise known as sleet.

While sleet is not particularly helpful for building snowmen, Bob explains that very dry snow isn’t ideal either.

“You need weather with some moisture so the snow sticks and you can form a snowball. If the air is too dry, snowman making will be difficult.”

The ideal air temperature for snowmen is just above 0°C. In these conditions, any snowflakes falling through the slightly moist air will start to melt and stick together to produce bigger flakes.

To test the conditions, try to form a snowball. Resist the temptation to immediately launch it at an unsuspecting sibling and see how it holds together. If it’s sticking together, both as you compress it and once you’ve lobbed it, the snow is perfect for building a snowman.

Corncob pipe and a button nose?

A 3:2:1 ratio for a three-tiered snowman has been the traditional shape of our creations – although lesser snowfall in the UK means we’re more likely to create a two-tiered snowy friend.

In 2017, Dr James Hind, senior lecturer in statistics at Nottingham Trent University, came up with a mathematical formula for what he called the perfect snowman.

His formula examined a number of variables, including height, number and diameter of tiers, quality of snow, accessories and the visual appeal of objects and was also designed to increase the lifespan of our creations by slowing down the melting process.

Dr Hind’s research found that a snowman to be exactly 1.62m (5ft 4in) tall and made up of three large snowballs. The bottom ball should have a diameter of 80cm, the middle section a diameter of 50cm while the head should have a 30cm diameter.

But Bob thinks strict rules might actually take away a lot of the fun.

“There is no perfect specification for a snowman.

“That’s the whole point. You can’t make a wrong snowman! There’s no judgment and everyone can see your creation in your garden.”

Not sticking to the scientific formula paid off for the Austrian ski resort Donnersbachwald, who in February 2020 built what is thought to be the largest snowman ever created – a staggering 38.04m (125ft) tall.

The snowman was named Riesi, which roughly means giant in English, and was given the usual accessories - a hat, scarf, three buttons and a carrot for nose, albeit supersized ones.

But appearances aren’t everything when it comes to snowmen, according to Bob. Whether you’re using sticks for arms or a matching green hat and scarf, the important thing is to enjoy it.

“Just have fun,” says Bob. “You can be as creative as you wish, using whatever you find to make a face. The more unique, the better.”

So, next time it snows and you bring your magical snowy creations to life, remember you’re playing your part in mankind’s history of art. Just don’t forget your gloves.