Snow Block

A snow block^[a] is a full-sized block of snow.

Obtaining[]

Breaking[]

If mined with a Silk Touch enchanted shovel, snow blocks drop themselves; without the enchantment, 4 snowballs are dropped instead. Nothing drops if mined with any other tool, even if enchanted with Silk Touch.

In Java Edition, a snow block can also be obtained by mining 8 snow layers with a Silk Touch shovel.^[1]

Block	Snow Block
Hardness	0.2
Tool
Breaking time^[A]
Default	1
Wooden	0.15
Stone	0.1
Iron	0.05
Diamond	0.05
Netherite	0.05
Golden	0.05

↑ Times are for unenchanted tools as wielded by players with no status effects, measured in seconds. For more information, see Breaking § Speed.

Unlike snow layers, snow blocks do not melt from higher levels of light under normal circumstances, and are not destroyed by water.

Natural generation[]

Snow blocks generate on the ground in the ice spikes, grove, snowy slopes, frozen peaks and jagged peaks biomes, they form the walls of igloos and some snowy tundra village houses and can also generate on top of some icebergs. The snowfall weather effect generates snow layers which combine into a snow block once they reach full block height.‌^{[BE & edu only]}

Chest loot[]

Item	Structure	Container	Quantity	Chance
Java Edition
Snow Block	Village	Snowy house chest	1	34.5%
Bedrock Edition
Snow Block	Village	Snowy house chest	1	34.5%

Crafting[]

Ingredients	Crafting recipe	Description
Snowball		Cannot be crafted back into 4 snowballs.

Usage[]

Melting[]

Unlike snow, snow blocks do not melt when a heat block‌^{[BE & edu only]} or a light-emitting block is nearby, nor will they melt in dry biomes.

Snow golems[]

Snow Golem build configuration

Snow blocks are also used to make snow golems by putting 2 snow blocks on top of another and a carved pumpkin, jack o'lantern or pumpkin‌^{[BE only]} on the top as the head. Note that the carved pumpkin has to be placed last for this to work. This can be done sideways and upside-down, as well.

Crafting ingredient[]

Name	Ingredients	Crafting recipe
Snow	Snow Block	6

Sounds[]

Java Edition:

Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
Block broken	Blocks	Once the block has broken	`block.snow.break`	`subtitles.block.generic.break`	1.0	0.8	16
Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	`block.snow.place`	`subtitles.block.generic.place`	1.0	0.8	16
Block breaking	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	`block.snow.hit`	`subtitles.block.generic.hit`	0.25	0.5	16
None^{[sound 1]}	Entity-Dependent	Falling on the block with fall damage	`block.snow.fall`	None^{[sound 1]}	0.5	0.75	16
Footsteps	Entity-Dependent	Walking on the block	`block.snow.step`	`subtitles.block.generic.footsteps`	0.15	1.0	16

↑ ^a ^b MC-177082

Bedrock Edition:

Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
Blocks	Once the block has broken	`dig.snow`	1.0	0.8-1.0
Blocks	When the block is placed	`dig.snow`	1.0	0.8-1.0
Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	`hit.snow`	0.35	0.5
Players	Falling on the block with fall damage	`fall.snow`	0.4	1.0
Players	Walking on the block	`step.snow`	0.3	1.0
Players	Jumping from the block	`jump.snow`	0.12	1.0
Players	Falling on the block without fall damage	`land.snow`	0.22	1.0

Data values[]

ID[]

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Block tags	Translation key
Snow Block	`snow_block`	Block & Item	`snow` `mineable/shovel`	`block.minecraft.snow_block`

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID	Form	Item ID^{[i 1]}	Translation key
Snow	`snow`	`80`	Block & Giveable Item^{[i 2]}	Identical^{[i 3]}	`tile.snow.name`

↑ ID of block's direct item form, which is used in savegame files and addons.
↑ Available with /give command.
↑ The block's direct item form has the same id as the block.

History[]

Java Edition Alpha
v1.0.5					Added snow blocks.
v1.0.5					Snow blocks drop 6 snowballs instead of 4.
v1.0.5_01					A shovel is now required to obtain snowballs from snow.
v1.0.5_01					Snow blocks on top of top snow cover no longer look unusual.
v1.0.6					Snow blocks now require only 4 snowballs to craft instead of 9. This allows for infinite amounts of snow blocks and snowballs as snow blocks still drop 6 snowballs instead of 4.
v1.1.1					The infinite snowball glitch has now been fixed; solid snow blocks now drop only 4 snowballs.
v1.2.0		preview			With the removal of winter mode, snow and snow blocks have become temporarily non-renewable.
Java Edition Beta
1.5					With the addition of weather, snow and snow blocks have become renewable.
1.8		Pre-release			Snow no longer generates in cold biomes, making snow blocks temporarily unobtainable.
Java Edition
1.0.0		Beta 1.9 Prerelease			Added ice plains, making snow obtainable again.
1.0.0		Beta 1.9 Prerelease			Snow blocks can now be used to create snow golems.
1.4.2		12w38a			Snow has now been given a new block breaking sound.
1.5		13w05a			A crafting recipe for snow cover has now been added.
1.7.2		13w36a			Added the ice plains spikes biome, which generates snow blocks on the surface.
1.9		15w43a			Snow blocks now generate as part of igloos.
1.12		17w15a			Snow can now be placed correctly on upside-down stairs.
1.13		17w47a			"Snow" has now been renamed to "Snow Block".
					The ID of snow blocks has now been changed from `snow` to `snow_block`.
					Prior to The Flattening, this block's numeral ID was 80.
		?			Mining 8 layers of snow with a Silk Touch Shovel now yields a snow block.^[1]
		18w15a			Added icebergs to frozen oceans, which contain snow blocks.
1.14		18w43a			Prior to this snapshot, snow blocks were capable of spontaneously melting under specific conditions. This no longer happens.^[2]
		18w43a			The texture of snow blocks has now been changed.
		18w49a			Snow blocks now generate as part of some houses in the newly added snowy tundra villages.
		18w49a			Snow block items can now be found in chests in snowy village houses.
1.18		Experimental Snapshot 1			Plants can now be placed on snow blocks.
1.18		21w37a			Reverted change allowing plants to be placed on snow blocks.
Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.2.0					Added snow blocks.
v0.3.0					Snow blocks are now craftable, and drop snowballs when mined.
v0.3.3					Snow blocks are now available in the creative inventory.
v0.9.0		build 1			Snow blocks now generate naturally in ice spike biomes.
v0.12.1		build 1			Snow is now renewable.
v0.12.1		build 1			Snow can now be used to create golems.
Pocket Edition
1.0.0		alpha 0.17.0.1			Snow blocks now generate as part of igloos.
Bedrock Edition
1.4.0		beta 1.2.14.2			Snow blocks now generate naturally in icebergs.
1.10.0		beta 1.10.0.3			The texture of snow blocks has now been changed.
1.10.0		beta 1.10.0.3			Snow blocks now generate in snowy tundra villages.
1.11.0		beta 1.11.0.1			Snow blocks can now be found in snowy tundra village house chests.
Caves & Cliffs (experimental)		beta 1.16.220.50			Snow blocks now generate in mountain grove, snowy slopes, snow capped peaks and lofty peaks biomes.
Legacy Console Edition
TU1	CU1	1.0	Patch 1	1.0.1	Added snow blocks.
		1.90			The texture of snow blocks has now been changed.

Issues[]

Issues relating to "Snow Block" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia[]

Snow may still fall on top of snow blocks, making them look taller than they actually are.
When a snow block is on grass, the grass block changes to a different "snowy" texture as if a snow layer is on it. However, because snow is not transparent to light, the grass changes to dirt shortly after.
Snow blocks, as well as snow layers, are the only blocks that require a tool other than a pickaxe to be mined successfully.

Gallery[]

Naturally generated snow blocks in an igloo.
Naturally generated snow blocks in top of an iceberg.

Notes[]

↑ Known as Snow Block in Java Edition and Snow in Bedrock Edition.

References[]

↑ ^a ^b MC-134408 — Breaking 8-level snow layer with Silk Touch drops snow block
↑ MC-88097

External Links[]

Block of the Week: Snow – Minecraft.net on May 19, 2017

[breakingtimenote-3] Times are for unenchanted tools as wielded by players with no status effects, measured in seconds. For more information, see Breaking § Speed.

[bugMC-177082-4] MC-177082

[bedrock-item-id-5] ID of block's direct item form, which is used in savegame files and addons.

[bedrock-give-available-6] Available with /give command.

[bedrock-item-form-7] The block's direct item form has the same id as the block.

[1] Known as Snow Block in Java Edition and Snow in Bedrock Edition.

[MC-134408-2] MC-134408 — Breaking 8-level snow layer with Silk Touch drops snow block

[8] MC-88097

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