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{{distinguish|Snow}}
[[File:Snowfall Vibrant Visuals.png|thumb|width=300x300|Snowfall in a [[grove]] with [[Minecraft:Jagged Peaks|jagged peaks]] in the background]]
'''Snowfall''' is a type of [[Minecraft:weather]] that occurs occasionally in ''[[Minecraft:Minecraft]]''.

== Behavior ==
Snowfall is a temporary, biome-specific occurrence that replaces [[Minecraft:rain]] in [[Minecraft:Biome|snowy biomes]]. It only occurs above a certain height in cold biomes like [[Minecraft:windswept hills]] and [[Minecraft:taiga|taigas]]. Snowfall also occurs in [[Minecraft:frozen ocean]] biomes, where it occurs in certain locations, while it rains in others, as a result of a temperature gradient within the biome. In temperate and warm biomes, snowfall can occur only at layers above the block height limit. Snowfall does not exist in other [[Minecraft:dimension]]s than the Overworld.

Below are the [[Minecraft:altitude]]s at which rain ends and snow begins, depending on the biome. The exact height of the snow line is randomized per block: for examples in taigas, the lowest possible snow layer forms at y level 153, and the minimum height where snow forms at all locations is y level 168, with snow lines ranging between y levels 153 and 168 across different locations.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! width="150" | Biome
! width="500" | Layer
|-
| align="left" |
*{{BiomeLink|Snowy Plains|text=All snowy biomes|link=Biome#Snowy biomes}}
| align="center" | y=-64 (All altitudes)
|-
| align="left" |
*{{BiomeLink|Windswept Gravelly Hills}}
*{{BiomeLink|Windswept Hills}}
*{{BiomeLink|Windswept Forest}}
*{{BiomeLink|Stony Shore}}<ref name="MC-240697">{{bug|MC-240697||It snows in the stony shore biomes from Y {{=}} 118 and above}}</ref>
*{{BiomeLink|Dripstone Caves}}{{only|be|short=1}}<ref>{{bug|MCPE-142225||Dripstone Caves biome temperature is too cold}}</ref>
| align="center" | 120±8
|-
| align="left" |
*{{BiomeLink|Taiga}}
*{{BiomeLink|Old Growth Spruce Taiga}}
| align="center" | 160±8
|-
| align="left" |
*{{BiomeLink|Old Growth Pine Taiga}}
*{{BiomeLink|Meadow}}{{only|be|short=1}}
*{{BiomeLink|Cherry Grove}}{{only|be|short=1}}
| align="center" | 200±8
|-
| align="left" |
*{{BiomeLink|Plains|text=All others|link=Biome}}
| align="center" | 356±8 (out of world)
|-
| align="left" |
*{{BiomeLink|Frozen Ocean}}
*{{BiomeLink|Deep Frozen Ocean}}
| align="center" | Between -64 and 120±8, depending on location
|}

The average snowfall lasts 0.5–1 [[Minecraft:Daylight cycle#Conversions|''Minecraft'' day]], and there is a 0.5–7.5 day delay between snowstorms. Snowstorms have a small chance to worsen into [[Minecraft:thunderstorm]]s, which keep the effects from both weather types, although lightning does not occur.

== Effects ==
[[File:Snowfalltundra.png|thumb|250px|Snow falling in a snowy taiga {{In|je}}]]
[[File:Snowing BE.jpg|thumb|250px|Snow falling in a snowy taiga in ''Bedrock Edition'']]

Snowstorms darken the world, causing the [[Minecraft:light]] from the [[Minecraft:sun]] to decrease by 3, bringing it to light level 12 in full daylight. [[Minecraft:Moon|Moonlight]], however, is not reduced, and remains at light level 4. {{IN|je}}, the [[Minecraft:sky]] darkens in all biomes with different colors (see {{Slink|Sky|Colors}} for a full list). {{IN|be}}, the sky or [[Minecraft:atmospherics]] turn to {{Color|rgb(103, 103, 103)}} in all biomes, except dry biomes with [[Minecraft:Vibrant Visuals]]. [[Minecraft:Fog]] grows in density, decreasing view distance by 30%, and is colored in classic graphics {{Color|#666666}} ({{Color|#403C44}} in [[Minecraft:pale gardens]]).

Celestial bodies (the [[Minecraft:sun]], [[Minecraft:moon]], and [[Minecraft:stars]]) are no longer visible.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160604072213/https://twitter.com/notch/status/55982751265988610 "You can't see sun/moon/stars while it's raining, and days are one level darker."] - [https://twitter.com/notch @notch] on Twitter, April 7, 2011 <small>(Archived)</small></ref> In ''Bedrock Edition'', the sun and moon are still visible in biomes with no precipitation, but [[Minecraft:stars]] aren't. [[Minecraft:Clouds]] darken from white to gray (95% {{Color|rgb(191, 191, 191)}} blended with regular colors in ''Bedrock Edition''). Although the sun is not visible during snowfall, the glow associated with sunrise and sunset is still visible,{{Only|je|short=1}} or mie scattering with Vibrant Visuals.

{{IN|be}}, all [[Minecraft:leaves]] that are exposed to the sky in snowy biomes, with the exception of cherry, pale oak, and azalea, slowly change from green to white once snowfall begins and for its duration, giving them a frosted appearance. Leaves placed after this transition has occurred for a particular snowfall cycle appear frosted as soon as they are placed. Leaf [[Minecraft:Particles (Bedrock Edition)|particles]] also turn white during snowfall, with the same colors as leaves.

When it snows, [[Minecraft:Snow|snow layers]] regenerate over all blocks with a solid top surface at integer y-values.<ref>{{tweet|notch|55919635593306112|@zadirion Ice and snow will regrow, farms will autowater|April 7, 2011}}</ref> {{IN|be}}, these snow layers naturally accumulate over time, with each biome having its own set of values determining how much or how little snow can be accumulated through snowfall. Once snow accumulates to the maximum height allowed in a specific biome, it reverts itself back to the biome's minimum and starts over. {{IN|java}}, snowfall creates one layer of snow by default, and the number of layers that can accumulate can be altered by the [[Minecraft:game rule]] {{cd|max_snow_accumulation_height}}; setting it to {{cd|0}} makes no snow form at all, and setting it to {{cd|8}} or above lets snow form up to the level of a full block. Snow can also generate [[Minecraft:snowlogged]] in certain types of vegetation in ''Bedrock Edition''.

=== Snow particles ===
Falling snowflake [[Minecraft:particle]] effects are visible through the air over all cold regions during snowfall. Unlike with rain, any entities that are on [[Minecraft:fire]] are not extinguished on contact with snow. {{IN|JE}}, snowflakes fall in the two middle lines of a block; they do not visibly fall directly onto the [[Minecraft:player]]. {{IN|BE}}, snow particles can fall twisting, bending, and moving around, independent of a block.

On the border of a snowy biome and rainy biome, snowfall gradually transforms into rainfall up to eight blocks from the border in ''Bedrock Edition''. This also happens when the biomes border each other in vertical direction, and has no influence on snow generation or melt. In ''Java Edition'', no transition between biomes exists at all and the border between snowfall and rainfall is visible on the edge of single blocks.

In ''Bedrock Edition'', stony shores and dripstone caves allow snowfall to border biomes with no precipitation at higher altitudes. While nearing a dry biome, the density of snow particles decreases and the sky brightens. At the border of rainfall, snowfall, and no precipitation, rain and snow particles are both visible with a lower density.

=== List of blocks that let snow go through ===
{{main|Rain#List of blocks that let rain go through}}

=== Powder snow ===
During snowfall, [[Minecraft:cauldron]]s under the sky slowly fill with [[Minecraft:powder snow]].

== Videos ==
{{yt|zYCf4lK0_hc}}

== History ==
=== Development ===
{{HistoryTable
|{{HistoryLine||May 20, 2009|link=wordofnotch:110593679|[[Minecraft:Notch]] briefly mentioned, "Winter is an awesome idea. I can see snow and tiles slowly getting covered in a layer of snow. Also, ice on lakes. :D"}}
|{{HistoryLine||Oct 25, 2009|link=https://notch.tumblr.com/post/222885464/snowman-on-minecraft-irc-made-this-snow-mod|Notch comments on a winter themed texture mod.}}
}}

=== ''Java Edition'' ===
{{HistoryTable
|{{HistoryLine|java alpha}}
|{{HistoryLine||v1.0.4|[[Minecraft:Winter mode]] added. While generating a world, there is a 25% chance to get a snowy world, where snow falls continuously.}}
|{{HistoryLine||v1.2.0|dev=preview|Winter mode is removed, with the introduction of [[Minecraft:biome]]s.}}
|{{HistoryLine|java beta}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.5|dev=April 08, 2011|slink={{ytl|qy882ILYJMM}}|Rain and falling snow were implemented after a teaser video was released.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.8|dev=Pre-release|Due to a bug in terrain generation, snowfall no longer occurs naturally in any biome.}}
|{{HistoryLine|java}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.0.0|dev=Beta 1.9 Prerelease|Added [[Minecraft:ice plains]], allowing snowfall to occur again.
|Snowfall destroys [[Minecraft:redstone]], [[Minecraft:torch]]es, [[Minecraft:sapling]]s, and minecart [[Minecraft:rail]]s.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=Beta 1.9 Prerelease 5|Fixed the above bug.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.7.2|dev=13w36a|Snowfall now occurs in some biomes above a certain [[Minecraft:altitude]].}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.17|dev=20w46a|[[Minecraft:Cauldron]]s can now be filled with [[Minecraft:powder snow]] during snowfall.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.17.1|dev=Pre-release 1|Powder snow now fills cauldrons 2 times faster than before.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.18|dev=experimental snapshot 4|The altitude at which rain transitions to snow has been raised to accommodate for the higher terrain.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.19.3|dev=22w44a|Added the [[Minecraft:game rule]] {{cd|snowAccumulationHeight}}.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.21.11|dev=25w44a|The {{cd|snowAccumulationHeight}} game rule has been renamed to {{cd|max_snow_accumulation_height}}.}}
}}

=== ''Bedrock Edition'' ===
{{HistoryTable
|{{HistoryLine|pocket edition alpha}}
|{{HistoryLine||v0.12.1|dev=build 1|Added snowfall.
|Leaves become frosted during snowfall in snowy biomes.}}
|{{HistoryLine|||dev=build 9|Snow should cause less lag.}}
|{{HistoryLine|bedrock}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.17.0|dev=beta 1.17.0.52|[[Minecraft:Cauldron]]s can now be filled with [[Minecraft:powder snow]] during snowfall.}}
}}

=== Legacy Console Edition ===
{{HistoryTable
|{{HistoryLine|legacy console}}
|{{HistoryLine||xbox=TU1|xbone=CU1|ps3=1.00|psvita=1.00|ps4=1.00|wiiu=Patch 1|switch=1.0.1|Added snowfall.}}
|{{HistoryLine||xbox=TU3|Improved snowfall.{{verify|Not much information provided, changelog lists "snow & rain improvements"}}}}
}}

== Issues ==
{{Issue list}}

== Trivia ==
* Snow still falls above the clouds. Notch's explanation is that the gray above the clouds during a storm is another layer of clouds and the origin of the snow.<ref>{{tweet|notch|130230769347067905|@carnalizer there's another layer of clouds above the low one! That's why the sky turns gray.|October 29, 2011}}</ref>
* At extremely high Y values, snow appears to fall more slowly and the texture of the snow particles becomes vertically stretched. The slowed falling speed becomes noticeable at around Y=200000, while the vertical stretching effect becomes noticeable around Y=1000000

== Gallery ==
=== Screenshots ===
<gallery>
File:Snowing.png|Snowfall at night in snowy plains {{In|je}}
File:Midnight snow.png|Snowfall at [[Minecraft:midnight]]
File:Snowfall Transition Bedrock.gif|A timelapse of leaves becoming frosted at the start of snowfall in ''[[Minecraft:Bedrock Edition]]''
File:Snowfall comparsion.gif|Comparison of snowfall in ''Java'' and ''Bedrock'' editions
File:RainAndSnow.gif|The boundary between rain and snow in ''[[Minecraft:Java Edition]]''
File:Snow rain transition BE.gif|The transition between snowfall and rainfall in ''Bedrock Edition''
File:Snowy Biome Boundary.jpg|Trees at the boundary of a snowy taiga and windswept hills biome in ''Bedrock Edition'', showing both types of leaves
File:Snow dry transition.png|The transition between snowfall and no precipitation when a [[Minecraft:Stony Shore|stony shore]] borders a [[Minecraft:desert]]
File:All weather transitions.png|The occurence of all three weather types visible at once, rain, snow, and clear weather
File:Snowy Taiga Hills village BE.png|Snow falling on a [[Minecraft:Snowy Taiga Hills|snowy taiga hills]] [[Minecraft:village]] in ''Bedrock Edition''
File:Snowy Mountains with snow.png|Snowfall in [[Minecraft:Snowy Mountains|snowy mountains]]
File:NotchSnowMod.png|A snow [[Minecraft:mod]] in Minecraft Classic
File:Snowscene.png|Snowfall in Minecraft Alpha
</gallery>

== References ==

{{reflist}}

== Navigation ==
{{Navbox environment}}

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Minecraft:Snowfall - Revision history

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