This may be a while in coming but I hope to try and develop a small peltier cooled chamber in which a wide variety of snow, and perhaps other, crystal growth can be initiated, controlled, and observed in a relatively low tech (read: cheap) manner.  In the meantime to see how the big kids do it and learn some really neat things about snowflakes while looking at pretty pictures check out  www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/