snow rollers ???? okay weird

[wrkh99]

ABUS34 KSPI 121513
PNSSPI

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
912 AM CST WED FEB 12 2003

...NATURE-MADE SNOWBALLS REPORTED ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS...

NUMEROUS REPORTS AND PICTURES OF FIELDS FULL OF SNOWBALLS HAVE
SURFACED ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS TODAY. THE FOLLOWING IS A BRIEF
EXPLANATION OF THIS PHENOMENA...TAKEN FROM http://WWW.WEATHERNOTEBOOK.ORG

IT APPEARS AS IF SOMEONE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING A SNOWMAN
AND THEN LEFT THE ROLLED BALLS OF SNOW IN THE FIELD. CLOSER
INSPECTION SHOWS NO FOOTPRINTS IN THE FIELDS. THEY ARE NATURE-MADE
SNOWBALLS CALLED 'SNOWROLLERS'.

THEY ARE FORMED UNDER SPECIFIC WEATHER CONDITIONS. FIRST...THE
GROUND SURFACE MUST HAVE ANY ICY...CRUSTY SNOW...ON WHICH NEW
FALLING SNOW CANNOT STICK. THEN...ABOUT AN INCH OF LOOSE...WET SNOW
MUST ACCUMULATE. FINALLY...A GUSTY AND STRONG WIND IS NEEDED TO
BUILD THE SNOWROLLER. THE WIND SCOOPS CHUNKS OF SNOW OUT OF THE
SNOWFIELD. ADDITIONAL SNOW ADHERES TO THIS SEED AND THE SNOWROLLER
GROWS. THEY LOOK LIKE A ROLLED-UP CARPET OR SMALL MUFF AND ARE OFTEN
HOLLOW. THEY CAN BE AS SMALL AS A GOLF BALL OR AS LARGE AS A
30-GALLON DRUM...BUT ARE USUALLY ABOUT 10 TO 12 INCHES IN DIAMETER.

$$
PLAHMER

[Stormsfury]

Saw this earlier today .... fascinating stuff

http://www.herald-review.com/current/to ... _large.php

[JQ Public]

How cool looking was that@ Thanks for sharing guys..

[ColdFront77]

Interesting indeed. Even making it more interesting, the National Weather Service in Lincoln, Illinois issued a statement on it.