Do world record snowflakes observed in 1887 stand up to science?

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According to Guinness World Records, the largest snowflake we know of was 38 centimetres across and 20 centimetres thick. This whopper was spotted in Montana in January 1887, when ranch owner Matt Coleman reported seeing snowflakes “larger than milk pans” during a severe storm. Admittedly, some experts are sceptical. “If this was falling from the sky, they would probably need to be wearing crash helmets,” says glaciologist Douglas Mair at the University of Liverpool, UK. Nevertheless, Guinness World Records insists that contemporary sources support Coleman's claim. We spoke to Ben Hollingham, a senior editor at the organisation, to shed light on the snowflake record and get some insight on the work of Guinness.
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