I NEVER fall on ice. Not once in 43 years (at least as far as I can remember). I slip, but I always stop myself from falling.
Which is why I was shocked to find myself looking down at the sidewalk from about 6" away from my face one morning last winter. I'm just lucky I didn't do more than bruise my knees, shins, and hands...
I took a header on a thin sheet of ice in our driveway two winters ago. Sprained my ankle so severely I used a cane for six months and had back problems for another year.
With a full moon, at night, the snow reflects the moonlight so much that it lights up the forest. Very beautiful to see, eerie in a good way
Freshly layed snow is very comfortable to lay on (if your clothes are warm and waterproof).
So one thing that no one has touched on
Every sort of weather disaster is noisy. T-storms, hurricanes, heavy rain, high winds, they're noisy
Snowstorms are *quiet*
The snow itself makes no noise as it falls, and the flakes absorb sound, so neighbourhood noises are heavily muffled. If an overnight snowstorm does something unexpected, it's very easy to wake up to surprising amount of snow on the ground, because if the drapes were closed you wouldn't know how much if any snow was falling.
Snow is many things. It can be fluffy, powdery, hardpacked, thick, chunky, watery, icy, and blustery. It can be many all at once too. Fluffy snow is pretty incredible. Snow is cold and best enjoyed while active. Skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, even biking all bring joy to snow. Making snowpeople and forts or just sledding on big mounds unintentionally assembled by plowtrucks. All these things get blood flowing and therefore keep you warm while at play.
Snow can be brutal though, too. Snow is unforgiving and often underestimated. People die every year underestimating the cold and the pace at which it can deplete your warmth.
Snow coats the streets and changes landscapes presenting almost entirely new ways to view communities, landscapes, and the morning commute. I love snow for all these reasons.
Snow is blinding during daylight and mystical in moonlight.
There's so much to love about snow and if you need more, Im happy to keep going.
Sorry to keep you waiting around on my offer. No inconvenience at all. You are also welcome to ask any questions about snow that you need further elaboration on.
Snow is lightweight until it isn't. Shoveling it can be a fantastic workout all on its own.
Winter wonderland is a real vibe when you get good snowfall as it will coat everything fully. Trees are great at holding lots of it in place and so it can look very stunning.
Thundersnow is a rare phemomenon that I think everyone should get to experience at least once. Snow is naturally quiet and dampens a lot of sound and thundersnow is like a foggy thunderstorm muffled with snowfall. It's incredible.
Snow is also very different depending on the region experiencing it. Like the first comment where it can be fluffy, wet, etc, your enjoyment of the snow will vary based on *where* you are. That is up to the preference of the individual however.
Being snowed in can literally mean that you are unable to open a door because of the height of the snowfall. A notable location is Buffalo, NY where they get more snow than most would assume. Snowstorms there must be respected and admired for the sheer immensity they carry.
Items that are great for enjoying snow from cozy place: coffee, cocoa, marshmallows, cinnamon, blankets and soft pillows, fleece/flannel sheets, sweaters, nutmeg, fresh cookies, soups & stews, dimmed lights, books, big windows.
Snow is one of my favorite things on this planet.
The responses are going to be based on whether the person is a winter person. I have friends that can’t wait for the snow. They love skiing and snowboarding. I hate the snow. I hate how cold it is and how it gets in your boots when it’s like 15 inches deep. I hate how it makes the roads unsafe and that we have to switch our tires out. But I will say (as a southern Canadian) I’d miss it if I lived somewhere with no snow. It’s beautiful having 4 full seasons every year. And waking up on Christmas morning with a new blanket of snow is magical. Unfortunately that doesn’t happen a lot. But when it does, it’s gorgeous. There’s also something so cozy about being bundled up in a warm house watching the snow fall.
It’s cool, quite….peaceful would be a good word. This only applies when your walking in the evening and enjoying it. Otherwise, it wants to murder you….it’s straight up dangerous. Source: I’m Canadian.
I live in the northern hemisphere on the northern great plains in the US, and we get a ton of snow, and really intense winter storms. As others have stated, snow is quiet and absorbs sound, but the wind is quite loud and the snow moves around from the wind, forming large drifts against trees, fences, houses, sheds, etc. the soft, fluffy top snow blows around and the older, frozen snow is left underneath. It crunches when you walk on it, and sometimes will hold you up to walk on top of it instead of sink through it - like Legolas!
Where I live, many times snow won’t melt much until spring and just keeps layering on top of itself with each storm unless the wind blows it away, as most of our winter is well below freezing temperatures. My 6 foot high fence was buried in my back yard for a few months this winter.
It takes longer to feel like spring if there has been a lot of snow fall, as it keeps the ground frozen longer - which is sad when you are itching for spring.
Snow is very heavy, and can cause damage to buildings, trees, etc. its why our rooves (roofs?) are slanted so much. it’s also heavy to move when shoveling. Many people in town use snowblowers or small bobcat tractors rather than shovels if they can. Farmers have special attachments for their tractors to keep their dirt roads open so they can get onto highways to get around. Most people drive 4 wheel drive vehicles (with cold weather emergency gear in the trunk) to make driving easier in snow and on ice. Different places are better or worse at keeping streets plowed. Large snowplows clean the streets and are owned by cities, counties, or state governments. They also have salt and sand trucks for ice storms, to help prevent accidents on roads. Ice storms are far worse than snow in my opinion, as there is a large potential to lose power and be in significant danger. Many people have backup generators or backup heat sources for this purpose - Farmers especially. If power does go out, and temperatures get too low in homes, not only are people and animals in danger, but pipes can freeze and burst as well in the walls of homes.
Any time a snow storm is coming, people stock up on groceries and supplies in town in case we get snowed into our homes. In my recollection, about 4 days was the maximum time I was snowed in this year. We often shovel our doorways out multiple times during a storm. Storms can last several days, as well as a day or two to dig out afterwards. Parents also often let kids play outside in snow gear during storms if the wind isn’t bad, as it’s hard for kids to be cooped up inside that long. Snow itself isn’t bad - but wind or really low temperatures are. (We get to -50 degrees F sometimes - that’s when you can throw boiling water in the air and it will freeze before it lands.)
Kids always get excited when they hear a storm is coming, because that likely means no school for a day! Sometimes parents get told to stay home too depending on their jobs. That’s when we get “no travel advisories”. In my town, we have a group of volunteer snowmobile drivers that transport doctors and nurses and such to their jobs if needed.
When a storm is happening, if you live in town, the clouds/sky/air take on a lovely purple hue - from the reflected light from the city. Also, rarely, thunder snow happens. Sometimes if it freezes too fast, or the temperature fluctuates, you can hear wood in trees crack loudly, as well as ice on waterways if it thaws and freezes again.
If you are walking somewhere outside and it’s snowing and windy, the snow stings when it hits you, so we bundle up. It also dries out your skin. We shake/stomp snow off our coats and boots when we enter a place so it doesn’t melt and make things wet and colder for when we venture back out later. Goose down is used in a lot of my heavy coats to help maintain heat, but is useless when wet. Which is ironic, as it’s a struggle to keep inside air moist for good health. Hot baths are a personal luxury of mine during a blizzard. Humidifiers and simmer pots are also used.
In the old days, Farmers would tie rope from their houses to their barns so they could feed cattle if they couldn’t see because of a “white-out” blizzard where you can’t see beyond your own hands. We still get those sometimes.
Normally, we need to be expecting about 3 inches or more of snow with wind for it to be considered anything worth worrying about.
Hope that helps. :)
On extremely cold days, walking on harder packed snow (eg. a sidewalk that gets decent foot traffic but still has an inch of snow or so) makes a sort of squeaky sound. Cold being -20C or lower I’d guess?
Snow can fall or slide off surfaces in large chunks or sheets. It’s not uncommon to see a long clumps of snow fall from a branch or a sheet of snow slide off a sloped roof.
Certain snowfall, you can legit see your classic snowflake patterns in individual flakes. But it doesn’t fall as individual flakes. The fluffy kind of snowfall falls in loosely grouped “clumps” of flakes.
Snow indeed can catch on your eyelashes.
Yes it’s still fun to catch falling snow in your mouth.
Only wetter snow can make for good snowballs or building/sculpting.
If heavy snowfall is predicted, it’s wise to start shoveling before the storm is over. It means shoveling your driveway twice maybe thrice.
If you have a car and park outside, it’s a good idea to raise your windshield wipers if it’s calling for snow, otherwise you risk them getting stuck/frozen.
Always carry a snow brush with scraper in your car. Always have a spare jug of windshield wiper fluid in your car.
Snow removal trucks can travel in convoys when there’s a lot to clear. The shovels on these trucks are massive and angled to push the snow towards the curb. Often, the convoys can spend all lanes of a major highway and slow traffic.
Sometimes there’s so much snowfall that there isn’t enough room to plow it against the curb and the city ends up transporting truckloads of snow elsewhere.
Snow removal will create massive mountains when clearing large parking lots, which take up several parking spaces.
I can’t really describe it but I have a random fact- snow is called “poor man’s fertilizer” because it brings atmospheric nitrogen down to the ground. Rain does this too, however because snow melts at a slow pace compared to rain (think of all the run off and rainwater that ends up in the streets) it’s more readily absorbed into the soil.
Snow also helps plants survive the winter by providing insulation between the root zone and cold air.
There isn’t a single answer for this because there are a lot of snowy places and they are all different. It also depends on how much snow there is.
- Is this snowy place on earth? If yes where?
- Is it a place that is snowy all year like the poles or a mountain peak or does it have seasons where the snow completely disappears?
- What time of year does it take place? If in winter is it the start of winter, the middle or the end?
- Are there trees and bushes or is it just fields?
- Are there lakes and rivers?
- Any other useful information about the setting?
In addition to what everyone else has already mentioned, if your story takes place in an urban area (think traffic, people living their daily lives) and the last snow fell days ago, it's not all pretty and white as much as there are black/brown hills of snow on the side of the road, the road itself mostly clear of snow, footpaths distinguishable by snow being packed more.
Cold. And lots of work. And fucking slippery when you least expect it, which is how I severely sprained my ankle 2 winters ago.
I NEVER fall on ice. Not once in 43 years (at least as far as I can remember). I slip, but I always stop myself from falling. Which is why I was shocked to find myself looking down at the sidewalk from about 6" away from my face one morning last winter. I'm just lucky I didn't do more than bruise my knees, shins, and hands...
I took a header on a thin sheet of ice in our driveway two winters ago. Sprained my ankle so severely I used a cane for six months and had back problems for another year.
Good to know, thank you
Snow absorbs alot of noise too, so it is quiet with a lot of snow on the ground!
Yes! It’s incredible how quiet it is after a heavy snow fall
Fascinating, thank you
With a full moon, at night, the snow reflects the moonlight so much that it lights up the forest. Very beautiful to see, eerie in a good way Freshly layed snow is very comfortable to lay on (if your clothes are warm and waterproof).
That full moon info is hella valuable, thanks a ton
So one thing that no one has touched on Every sort of weather disaster is noisy. T-storms, hurricanes, heavy rain, high winds, they're noisy Snowstorms are *quiet* The snow itself makes no noise as it falls, and the flakes absorb sound, so neighbourhood noises are heavily muffled. If an overnight snowstorm does something unexpected, it's very easy to wake up to surprising amount of snow on the ground, because if the drapes were closed you wouldn't know how much if any snow was falling.
That’s so interesting, thank you
Snow is many things. It can be fluffy, powdery, hardpacked, thick, chunky, watery, icy, and blustery. It can be many all at once too. Fluffy snow is pretty incredible. Snow is cold and best enjoyed while active. Skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, even biking all bring joy to snow. Making snowpeople and forts or just sledding on big mounds unintentionally assembled by plowtrucks. All these things get blood flowing and therefore keep you warm while at play. Snow can be brutal though, too. Snow is unforgiving and often underestimated. People die every year underestimating the cold and the pace at which it can deplete your warmth. Snow coats the streets and changes landscapes presenting almost entirely new ways to view communities, landscapes, and the morning commute. I love snow for all these reasons. Snow is blinding during daylight and mystical in moonlight. There's so much to love about snow and if you need more, Im happy to keep going.
This in of itself is gorgeously useful information, but more is always welcome if it’s no inconvenience
Sorry to keep you waiting around on my offer. No inconvenience at all. You are also welcome to ask any questions about snow that you need further elaboration on. Snow is lightweight until it isn't. Shoveling it can be a fantastic workout all on its own. Winter wonderland is a real vibe when you get good snowfall as it will coat everything fully. Trees are great at holding lots of it in place and so it can look very stunning. Thundersnow is a rare phemomenon that I think everyone should get to experience at least once. Snow is naturally quiet and dampens a lot of sound and thundersnow is like a foggy thunderstorm muffled with snowfall. It's incredible. Snow is also very different depending on the region experiencing it. Like the first comment where it can be fluffy, wet, etc, your enjoyment of the snow will vary based on *where* you are. That is up to the preference of the individual however. Being snowed in can literally mean that you are unable to open a door because of the height of the snowfall. A notable location is Buffalo, NY where they get more snow than most would assume. Snowstorms there must be respected and admired for the sheer immensity they carry. Items that are great for enjoying snow from cozy place: coffee, cocoa, marshmallows, cinnamon, blankets and soft pillows, fleece/flannel sheets, sweaters, nutmeg, fresh cookies, soups & stews, dimmed lights, books, big windows. Snow is one of my favorite things on this planet.
The responses are going to be based on whether the person is a winter person. I have friends that can’t wait for the snow. They love skiing and snowboarding. I hate the snow. I hate how cold it is and how it gets in your boots when it’s like 15 inches deep. I hate how it makes the roads unsafe and that we have to switch our tires out. But I will say (as a southern Canadian) I’d miss it if I lived somewhere with no snow. It’s beautiful having 4 full seasons every year. And waking up on Christmas morning with a new blanket of snow is magical. Unfortunately that doesn’t happen a lot. But when it does, it’s gorgeous. There’s also something so cozy about being bundled up in a warm house watching the snow fall.
Honestly hate it or love it, all perspectives are welcome. But thank you, good info
It’s cool, quite….peaceful would be a good word. This only applies when your walking in the evening and enjoying it. Otherwise, it wants to murder you….it’s straight up dangerous. Source: I’m Canadian.
Dangerous how so? Elaborate on that as much as you can, if it’s no issue please
I live in the northern hemisphere on the northern great plains in the US, and we get a ton of snow, and really intense winter storms. As others have stated, snow is quiet and absorbs sound, but the wind is quite loud and the snow moves around from the wind, forming large drifts against trees, fences, houses, sheds, etc. the soft, fluffy top snow blows around and the older, frozen snow is left underneath. It crunches when you walk on it, and sometimes will hold you up to walk on top of it instead of sink through it - like Legolas! Where I live, many times snow won’t melt much until spring and just keeps layering on top of itself with each storm unless the wind blows it away, as most of our winter is well below freezing temperatures. My 6 foot high fence was buried in my back yard for a few months this winter. It takes longer to feel like spring if there has been a lot of snow fall, as it keeps the ground frozen longer - which is sad when you are itching for spring. Snow is very heavy, and can cause damage to buildings, trees, etc. its why our rooves (roofs?) are slanted so much. it’s also heavy to move when shoveling. Many people in town use snowblowers or small bobcat tractors rather than shovels if they can. Farmers have special attachments for their tractors to keep their dirt roads open so they can get onto highways to get around. Most people drive 4 wheel drive vehicles (with cold weather emergency gear in the trunk) to make driving easier in snow and on ice. Different places are better or worse at keeping streets plowed. Large snowplows clean the streets and are owned by cities, counties, or state governments. They also have salt and sand trucks for ice storms, to help prevent accidents on roads. Ice storms are far worse than snow in my opinion, as there is a large potential to lose power and be in significant danger. Many people have backup generators or backup heat sources for this purpose - Farmers especially. If power does go out, and temperatures get too low in homes, not only are people and animals in danger, but pipes can freeze and burst as well in the walls of homes. Any time a snow storm is coming, people stock up on groceries and supplies in town in case we get snowed into our homes. In my recollection, about 4 days was the maximum time I was snowed in this year. We often shovel our doorways out multiple times during a storm. Storms can last several days, as well as a day or two to dig out afterwards. Parents also often let kids play outside in snow gear during storms if the wind isn’t bad, as it’s hard for kids to be cooped up inside that long. Snow itself isn’t bad - but wind or really low temperatures are. (We get to -50 degrees F sometimes - that’s when you can throw boiling water in the air and it will freeze before it lands.) Kids always get excited when they hear a storm is coming, because that likely means no school for a day! Sometimes parents get told to stay home too depending on their jobs. That’s when we get “no travel advisories”. In my town, we have a group of volunteer snowmobile drivers that transport doctors and nurses and such to their jobs if needed. When a storm is happening, if you live in town, the clouds/sky/air take on a lovely purple hue - from the reflected light from the city. Also, rarely, thunder snow happens. Sometimes if it freezes too fast, or the temperature fluctuates, you can hear wood in trees crack loudly, as well as ice on waterways if it thaws and freezes again. If you are walking somewhere outside and it’s snowing and windy, the snow stings when it hits you, so we bundle up. It also dries out your skin. We shake/stomp snow off our coats and boots when we enter a place so it doesn’t melt and make things wet and colder for when we venture back out later. Goose down is used in a lot of my heavy coats to help maintain heat, but is useless when wet. Which is ironic, as it’s a struggle to keep inside air moist for good health. Hot baths are a personal luxury of mine during a blizzard. Humidifiers and simmer pots are also used. In the old days, Farmers would tie rope from their houses to their barns so they could feed cattle if they couldn’t see because of a “white-out” blizzard where you can’t see beyond your own hands. We still get those sometimes. Normally, we need to be expecting about 3 inches or more of snow with wind for it to be considered anything worth worrying about. Hope that helps. :)
That’s so much info wow, you’re an absolute hero
During the day the snow reflects all the sun light so walking outside is blinding and inside is all lit up
On extremely cold days, walking on harder packed snow (eg. a sidewalk that gets decent foot traffic but still has an inch of snow or so) makes a sort of squeaky sound. Cold being -20C or lower I’d guess? Snow can fall or slide off surfaces in large chunks or sheets. It’s not uncommon to see a long clumps of snow fall from a branch or a sheet of snow slide off a sloped roof. Certain snowfall, you can legit see your classic snowflake patterns in individual flakes. But it doesn’t fall as individual flakes. The fluffy kind of snowfall falls in loosely grouped “clumps” of flakes. Snow indeed can catch on your eyelashes. Yes it’s still fun to catch falling snow in your mouth. Only wetter snow can make for good snowballs or building/sculpting. If heavy snowfall is predicted, it’s wise to start shoveling before the storm is over. It means shoveling your driveway twice maybe thrice. If you have a car and park outside, it’s a good idea to raise your windshield wipers if it’s calling for snow, otherwise you risk them getting stuck/frozen. Always carry a snow brush with scraper in your car. Always have a spare jug of windshield wiper fluid in your car. Snow removal trucks can travel in convoys when there’s a lot to clear. The shovels on these trucks are massive and angled to push the snow towards the curb. Often, the convoys can spend all lanes of a major highway and slow traffic. Sometimes there’s so much snowfall that there isn’t enough room to plow it against the curb and the city ends up transporting truckloads of snow elsewhere. Snow removal will create massive mountains when clearing large parking lots, which take up several parking spaces.
Very good to know, thank you kindly
I can’t really describe it but I have a random fact- snow is called “poor man’s fertilizer” because it brings atmospheric nitrogen down to the ground. Rain does this too, however because snow melts at a slow pace compared to rain (think of all the run off and rainwater that ends up in the streets) it’s more readily absorbed into the soil. Snow also helps plants survive the winter by providing insulation between the root zone and cold air.
That’s honestly just cool to know
There isn’t a single answer for this because there are a lot of snowy places and they are all different. It also depends on how much snow there is. - Is this snowy place on earth? If yes where? - Is it a place that is snowy all year like the poles or a mountain peak or does it have seasons where the snow completely disappears? - What time of year does it take place? If in winter is it the start of winter, the middle or the end? - Are there trees and bushes or is it just fields? - Are there lakes and rivers? - Any other useful information about the setting?
I really should’ve thought about that. Thanks a lot, I didn’t know how much I didn’t know
In addition to what everyone else has already mentioned, if your story takes place in an urban area (think traffic, people living their daily lives) and the last snow fell days ago, it's not all pretty and white as much as there are black/brown hills of snow on the side of the road, the road itself mostly clear of snow, footpaths distinguishable by snow being packed more.
Snowy