Snowball
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2008-07-15T18:05:05Z
Husond
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Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/217.82.172.67|217.82.172.67]] to last version by Amalthea (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]])
{{otheruses}}
[[Image:Snowpyramids.jpg|thumb|A sampling of snowballs.]]
[[Image:Venceslao Gennaio Castello Buonconsiglio Trento c1400 detail.jpg|thumb|right|A medieval image from Italy of people using snowballs]]
[[Image:Ambrogio Lorenzetti 010.jpg|thumb|100px|Ambrogio Lorenzetti's ''Winter'']]
{{wiktionary|snowball's chance in hell}}
A '''snowball''' is a [[sphere|spherical]] object made from frozen water or [[snow]], usually created by scooping snow with the hands, and compacting it into a roughly fist-sized ball. The snowball is often used to engage in games, such as [[snowball fight]]s. The pressure exerted by the hands on the snow is determinant for the final result. Reduced pressure leads to a light and soft snowball. A higher pressure causes the snow to melt, turning into liquid water. Once the pressure is removed, the water turns again into [[ice]], leading to a more compact and hard snowball called an '''iceball''', which eventually can be considered harmful during a snowball fight. The process of melting and refreezing is called [[regelation]].
A snowball may also be a large ball of snow formed by rolling a smaller snowball on a snow-covered surface. The smaller snowball grows by picking up additional snow as it rolls. The terms "[[snowball effect]]" and "snowballing" are named after this process. This technique is often used to create [[Snowman|snowmen]].
==Current World Record==
Students of [[Michigan Technological University]] rolled the World's Largest Snowball on [[February 10]], [[2006]].<ref name="record">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mtu.edu/worldrecord/|title=World Records|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=December 17|publisher=[[Michigan Technological University]]|year=2006|author=Michigan Tech}}</ref> It was 21 [[Foot (unit of length)|feet]] 3 [[inch]]es in circumference (81 inches or 2.06 [[metre]]s in diameter).<ref name="record"/>
==Heraldry==
The snowball occasionally occurs as a [[charge (heraldry)|charge]] in [[heraldry]].
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Snow]]
[[Category:Play]]
[[Category:Hobbies]]
[[cs:Sněhová koule]]
[[de:Schneeball (Schnee)]]
[[fr:Boule de neige]]
[[he:כדור שלג]]
[[nl:Sneeuwbal (sneeuw)]]
[[nn:Snøball]]
[[pl:Śnieżka (kulka)]]
[[simple:Snowball]]
[[fi:Lumipallo]]
[[sv:Snöboll]]