Ice vs. Snow

By Jaxson

Main Difference

The main difference between Ice and Snow is that the Ice is a water frozen into the solid state and Snow is a precipitation in the form of flakes of crystalline water ice.

  • Ice

    Ice is water frozen into a solid state. Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaque bluish-white color.

    In the Solar System, ice is abundant and occurs naturally from as close to the Sun as Mercury to as far away as the Oort cloud objects. Beyond the Solar System, it occurs as interstellar ice. It is abundant on Earth’s surface – particularly in the polar regions and above the snow line – and, as a common form of precipitation and deposition, plays a key role in Earth’s water cycle and climate. It falls as snowflakes and hail or occurs as frost, icicles or ice spikes.

    Ice molecules can exhibit eighteen or more different phases (packing geometries) that depend on temperature and pressure. When water is cooled rapidly (quenching), up to three different types of amorphous ice can form depending on the history of its pressure and temperature. When cooled slowly correlated proton tunneling occurs below −253.15 °C (20 K, −423.67 °F) giving rise to macroscopic quantum phenomena. Virtually all the ice on Earth’s surface and in its atmosphere is of a hexagonal crystalline structure denoted as ice Ih (spoken as “ice one h”) with minute traces of cubic ice denoted as ice Ic. The most common phase transition to ice Ih occurs when liquid water is cooled below 0 °C (273.15 K, 32 °F) at standard atmospheric pressure. It may also be deposited directly by water vapor, as happens in the formation of frost. The transition from ice to water is melting and from ice directly to water vapor is sublimation.

    Ice is used in a variety of ways, including cooling, winter sports and ice sculpture.

  • Snow

    Snow refers to forms of ice crystals that precipitate from the atmosphere (usually from clouds) and undergo changes on the Earth’s surface. It pertains to frozen crystalline water throughout its life cycle, starting when, under suitable conditions, the ice crystals form in the atmosphere, increase to millimeter size, precipitate and accumulate on surfaces, then metamorphose in place, and ultimately melt, slide or sublimate away. Snowstorms organize and develop by feeding on sources of atmospheric moisture and cold air. Snowflakes nucleate around particles in the atmosphere by attracting supercooled water droplets, which freeze in hexagonal-shaped crystals. Snowflakes take on a variety of shapes, basic among these are platelets, needles, columns and rime. As snow accumulates into a snowpack, it may blow into drifts. Over time, accumulated snow metamorphoses, by sintering, sublimation and freeze-thaw. Where the climate is cold enough for year-to-year accumulation, a glacier may form. Otherwise, snow typically melts seasonally, causing runoff into streams and rivers and recharging groundwater.

    Major snow-prone areas include the polar regions, the upper half of the Northern Hemisphere and mountainous regions worldwide with sufficient moisture and cold temperatures. In the Southern Hemisphere, snow is confined primarily to mountainous areas, apart from Antarctica.Snow affects such human activities as transportation: creating the need for keeping roadways, wings, and windows clear; agriculture: providing water to crops and safeguarding livestock; sports such as skiing, snowboarding, and snowmachine travel; and warfare. Snow affects ecosystems, as well, by providing an insulating layer during winter under which plants and animals are able to survive the cold.

Wikipedia
  • Ice (noun)

    Water in frozen (solid) form.

  • Ice (noun)

    Covering made of frozen water on a river or other water basin in cold season.

  • Ice (noun)

    Any frozen volatile chemical, such as ammonia or carbon dioxide.

  • Ice (noun)

    Any volatile chemical, such as water, ammonia, or carbon dioxide, not necessarily in solid form.

  • Ice (noun)

    A frozen dessert made of fruit juice, water and sugar.

  • Ice (noun)

    Any substance having the appearance of ice.

  • Ice (noun)

    One or more diamonds.

  • Ice (noun)

    Crystal form of amphetamine-based drugs.

  • Ice (noun)

    The area where a game of ice hockey is played.

  • Ice (verb)

    To cool with ice, as a beverage.

  • Ice (verb)

    To become ice, to freeze.

  • Ice (verb)

    To murder.

  • Ice (verb)

    To cover with icing (frosting made of sugar and milk or white of egg); to frost; as cakes, tarts, etc.

  • Ice (verb)

    To put out a team for a match.

    “Milton Keynes have yet to ice a team this season”

  • Ice (verb)

    To shoot the puck the length of the playing surface, causing a stoppage in play called icing.

    “If the Bruins ice the puck, the faceoff will be in their own zone.”

  • Snow (noun)

    The frozen, crystalline state of water that falls as precipitation.

  • Snow (noun)

    Any similar frozen form of a gas or liquid.

  • Snow (noun)

    A shade of the color white.

    “color panel|F9F5E6”

  • Snow (noun)

    The moving pattern of random dots displayed on a television, etc., when no transmission signal is being received.

  • Snow (noun)

    Cocaine.

  • Snow (noun)

    A snowfall; a blanket of frozen, crystalline water.

    “We have had several heavy snows this year.””

  • Snow (noun)

    A square-rigged vessel, differing from a brig only in that she has a trysail mast close abaft the mainmast, on which a large trysail is hoisted.

  • Snow (verb)

    To have snow fall from the sky.

    “It is snowing.”

    “It started to snow.”

  • Snow (verb)

    To hoodwink someone, especially by presenting confusing information.

  • Snow (verb)

    To bluff in draw poker by refusing to draw any cards.

Wiktionary
  • Ice (noun)

    an entry stored in a person’s mobile phone that provides emergency contact information

    “all mobile phone users should have an ICE contact in their phones”

  • Ice (verb)

    decorate (a cake or biscuit) with icing.

  • Ice (verb)

    clinch (something such as a victory or deal).

  • Ice (verb)

    kill

    “she was saved from being iced by the mafia”

  • Snow (noun)

    atmospheric water vapour frozen into ice crystals and falling in light white flakes or lying on the ground as a white layer

    “we were trudging through deep snow”

  • Snow (noun)

    falls of snow

    “the first snows of winter”

  • Snow (noun)

    a mass of flickering white spots on a television or radar screen, caused by interference or a poor signal

    “all that they could pick up on their screens was snow”

  • Snow (noun)

    a dessert or other dish resembling snow

    “vanilla snow”

  • Snow (noun)

    a frozen gas resembling snow

    “carbon dioxide snow”

  • Snow (noun)

    cocaine.

  • Snow (verb)

    snow falls

    “it’s not snowing so heavily now”

  • Snow (verb)

    be confined or blocked by a large quantity of snow

    “I was snowed in for a week”

  • Snow (verb)

    mislead or charm (someone) with elaborate and insincere words

    “they would snow the public into believing that all was well”

Oxford Dictionary

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