Snow sublimation confuses viewers, spurs conspiracy theory about Texas storms

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A well-known property of matter that converts it from solid to gas is at the center of a wave of Tik-Tok videos alleging that the Texas snow is fake and part of a government plan to control citizens .

The videos show how a handful of snow exposed to fire fails to drip water. “See? Proof,” say the videos.

In reality, the snow has turned to vapor and absorbs the water. Pure snow is very cold water, but a handful of snow off the ground may contain impurities that burn when exposed to fire, making it appear the snowball is scorching. That, too, is presented in the videos as “proof” that the storms were not real. In reality, the shocking visual can make it appear that the snow that is burning and the evaporating snow is smoke.

By Milan Sime Martinic