Snow

Snow is a ground cover block that is commonly caused by snowfall.

Breaking
In Java Edition, the only way to mine snow is via a shovel enchanted with Silk Touch. Destroying snow with a non-Silk-Touch shovel yields one snowball per layer. Any other tool, even if enchanted by Silk Touch, destroys the snow and drops nothing. Explosions by TNT or creepers also cause snow to yield a snowball. Snow can also be obtained by causing it to drop into an invalid block space, in which case it drops itself. The dropped snow layer also corresponds with how many layers were in the broken snow pile. If there are 8 layers of snow, a full snow block drops instead.

In Bedrock Edition, using a shovel on snow (left or right click) yields 1-4 snowballs. 4 snow balls can be crafted into a full snow block, which can in turn be crafted into snow layers (3 full snow blocks = 6 snow layers). Snow layers cannot be "mined" with Silk Touch. Silk Touch has no effect on the number of snow balls acquired when using a shovel. The number of snow balls acquired is as follows: 1 snow ball for snow layers 0-2, 2 snow balls for snow layers 3-4, 3 snow balls for snow layers 5-6 and 4 snow balls for snow layer 7 and full snow blocks.

Natural generation
Snow naturally generates in snowy biomes, cold biomes, and other biomes depending on the elevation and temperature. Only blocks with direct access to the sky can generate snow layers naturally (with the exception of some snowy villages, which are intentionally made to generate extra snow in areas inaccessible to the sky).

Snow generates where there is sky access atop buildings in snowy taiga villages.

Snow generates as piles in multiple layers as part of many snowy plains village structures.

Snow generates exclusively in single layers $$, but can generate in multiple layers $$.

Snow also generates in ancient cities.

Weather
In snowy biomes or in cold biomes at higher altitudes, the weather can produce snow instead of rain. In snowy weather, snow generates on random blocks with a complete solid top surface at integer y-values, with a block light level of 9 or less, with the exception of ice and packed ice.

Below are the altitudes at which rain ends and snow begins, depending on the biome. The exact height of the snow line is randomized: take taiga for example, the lowest possible snow layer forms at y level 153, and the lowest height where snow forms at all locations is y=168, with snow lines ranging between y levels 153 and 168 across different locations.

$$, up to two layers of top snow can build up during snowfall; $$, snowfall creates only one layer.

Snow layers do not generate if the gamerule doweathercycle has been set to false.

Snow golems
Snow golems generate a trail of snow in snowy, cold, and some medium biomes, or any non-dry biome $$.

Usage
Snow can be placed only on a solid block that is not ice. $$, snow breaks if its support block is removed. $$, snow is affected by gravity and falls if it becomes unsupported, and breaks if it falls onto an unsuitable block. A player can jump up 1 block and 3 snow layers.

Cover
If the snow is on a grass block (or mycelium or podzol $$ ) the ground cover turns white on the top and around the sides. Snow does not damage tilled and hydrated field areas – it cannot be placed on farmland. A gravity-affected block like sand or gravel does not fall if snow covers the block below it, but the gravity-affected block does replace a snow layer when falling onto it. The texture of the grass block changes to snowy when a single layer of snow is placed on top. Thicker layers of snow causes the grass block to revert to plain dirt when the block receives a random tick, similar to regular grass when covered by an opaque block. A plain dirt block with a single layer of snow on top gains a snowy texture if grass spreads to it.

$$, if leaves are topped with a layer of snow, particles of snow appear to fall through the leaves from the snow layer.

$$, snow layers can occupy the same space as one-block flowers, mushrooms, and one-block ferns and grass, (however two-block tall plants do not work) and can be layered and mined normally. Placing snow on already-existing plant blocks causes snow to appear around them, but placing plants into an area where there is snow removes the snow.

Snow layers can be used to kill nylium.

Melting
Snow melts if there is a heat block, or block light level of 12 or more. $$, it also melts in dry biomes, regardless of block light or daylight level. If there are multiple layers, layers melt gradually in Bedrock Edition, but they melt all at once in Java.

Some light sources can melt snow but many cannot. The melt radius is taxicab distance.

Foxes
When a fox gets stuck in the snow after missing an attack on prey, it emits particles as it emerges from the snow.

ID




Trivia

 * Snow can be stacked to a full block beside a cactus without destroying the cactus.
 * Snow layers of 2 to 7 thickness prevent hostile mobs from spawning.
 * In Spectator mode, a player positioned at the correct height can see the snowy texture of the top of the grass blocks.