Mother Nature put on a rare and fascinating show in upstate New York yesterday, January 22, 2026. A powerful winter storm moving through the region brought strong winds and fresh snowfall, creating the perfect recipe for a rare meteorological event. Residents in the Rochester suburb of Chili woke up to find their fields dotted with dozens of natural snow formations known as snow rollers. These curious structures, which look like oversized white tumbleweeds or donuts, appeared overnight as the wind literally rolled the landscape into a collection of icy cylinders.
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The Science Behind the Snow Roller
Snow rollers are a rare weather phenomenon where cylindrical snowballs form naturally. Unlike a snowball made by a person, which is packed together by hand, these are created entirely by the elements. They occur when wind or gravity causes a chunk of snow to tumble across a flat or hilly surface. As the snow rolls, it picks up more material along the way, growing in size much like the base of a snowman. Because the wind usually blows from a single direction, the snow tends to form a cylinder rather than a sphere.
The Perfect Recipe for Winter Donuts
The reason snow rollers are considered extremely rare is that they require a very specific set of meteorological ingredients to align at the exact same time. If any one of these factors is off, the snow will either stay flat or blow away entirely.
- There must be a relatively thin layer of fresh, loose snow on the ground.
- Underneath that fresh snow, there needs to be an icy layer or a crust of older snow so the new layer does not stick to the ground.
- The temperature must be just a few degrees above freezing, around 3°C to 5°C, to make the snow wet and sticky enough to adhere to itself.
- The wind must be strong enough to move the snow, typically around 30 mph, but not so strong that it breaks the delicate rollers apart.
Different Shapes and Sizes of Nature’s Bales
Snow rollers can vary significantly in appearance based on the terrain and wind speed. Some are solid and small, while others can grow to be quite massive.
| Roller Type | Typical Size | Key Characteristics |
| Small Rollers | A few inches wide | Often solid and resemble standard snowballs. |
| Large Rollers | Several feet wide | Can grow as large as a car and often have hollow centers. |
| Snow Donuts | Varies | Formed when the thin inner layers blow away, leaving a hole. |
Where Else Do These Snow Bales Appear
While the recent display in Chili has captured local attention, this phenomenon has been documented in various parts of the world over the years. They are most commonly seen in large, open spaces like fields, frozen lakes, or hillsides where the wind can gain enough momentum to keep the snow moving.
- Open fields and prairies in the United States and Canada.
- Hilly regions of Scotland and Norway.
- Large frozen bodies of water where the surface is exceptionally smooth.
- Areas with little to no vegetation that might stop the rollers from growing.
