Can a snowflake grow forever?

[pines-demon]

Snowflakes are water crystals that grow while falling. Is there a limit of how large can a snowflake be?

Aggregate snowflakes can be tens of cm big :https://news.ncsu.edu/2018/12/how-big-can-snowflakes-be/

The 2003 World Guinness of the largest single snowflake is about 1 cm big: https://magazine.caltech.edu/post/biggest-snow-crystal-ken-libbrecht

However it seems clear to me that certain geometries cannot grow forever because snowflake branches will intersect. Are there any predictions of how large a snowflake can grow? Even in artificial conditions?

 

[.Scott]

Under experimental zero-g conditions where there is no limit on space, time, energy, or materials there would be no limit. Since the flake and the flake growing equipment can be restricted to a mostly flat object, you wouldn't even need to be too concerned about it forming a black hole on its own. As far as geometries are concerned, pick a geometry that works forever.

Ideally, your lab will be in Euclidean space. Expect to provide continuous repairs to accommodate quantum effects and eventual evaporation.