Although weather, including its role in the water cycle, is included in most elementary science programs, any further examination of raindrops and snowflakes is rare. Together rain and snow make up most of the precipitation that replenishes Earth's life-sustaining fresh water supply. When viewed individually, raindrops and snowflakes are quite varied either in size or shape and provide surprising hints about the atmospheric conditions in which they formed. (Contains 1 figure, 3 resources and 4 online resources.)