SNOW vs. ICE

Snow is precipitation in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes(no two snowflakes are alike). Since it is composed of small rough particles it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by external pressure. Snow is commonly formed when water vapor undergoes deposition high in the atmosphere at a temperature of less than 0°C(or 32°F), and then falls to the ground. It can also be produced by hoar frost which falls from the surface on which it is formed, or falling particles of ice fog formed when the humidity in surface air freezes at very low temperatures. Snow is less dense than rain, which means the same amount of moisture will produce a greater volume of snow than it will rain. One rule of thumb is that the water in eight units of snow is equivalent to one unit of rain. See Snow density. Ice is an Oxide class mineral that is referred to by any one of the 14 known solid phases of water. However, in non-scientific contexts, it usually describes ice Ih, which is the most abundant of these phases in Earth's biosphere. This type of ice is a soft, delicate, crystalline solid, which can appear transparent or an opaque bluish-white color depending on the presence of impurities such as air. The addition of other materials such as soil may further alter appearance. 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. However, it can also deposit from a vapor with no intervening liquid phase such as in the formation of frost. Ice appears in varied forms such as hail, ice cubes, and glaciers. It plays an important role with many meteorological phenomena. The ice caps of the polar regions are of significance for the global climate and particularly the water cycle. from http://www.wikipedia.org with the above info my guess is that ice is more compact than snow plus the impurities that ice have comapred to snow. greetings. : )

I am thinking that i might have something to do with the fact that in snow the crystals have actually exploded and thats why snow look as it does. Yeah i know i'm probably way off but it was worth a try, let me know the real answer please cause now i am curious.