Photo: Mike Thomas

A Revelstoke man has kick-started an online brain teaser/mystery recently after he posted a picture of an unusual pattern on the snow in front of his house.

Mike Thomas posted the photo online with the caption, "anyone know what causes dimples in the snow? Fun answers only."

Thomas took the photo on Feb. 26 and says the weather was just above freezing overnight. There had been a bit of snow and rain the day prior, "don’t think there was much wind, sky was broken clouds."

Castanet reached out to Environment Canada meteorologist Terri Lang to see if there was a simple explanation, "my first thought is that it looks like small hailstones could have fallen on some fresh snow, given how nicely spaced out the holes are."

We shared Environment Canada's response with Thomas, "Ha! The actual scientific answer eluded me, not that I was looking for that with this post! But this same phenomenon was on flat roofs etc. all over town, so it is more likely something about the snowpack melting and solar influence."

Theories and possible explanations continued to pour in and that is what Thomas says was the best part of the experience.

"I’m just glad it got a whole segment of the community having some fun with their imagination, and pausing to see something as mundane as snow on my front lawn differently."

Most of the online responses were lighthearted and it sounds like Thomas achieved his goal of entertaining during what has been a long COVID-19 winter.

"This thread has made me happy with creative ideas," he said, ranging from "angel tears" to "mice on pogo sticks."