Snow That Won’t Melt: A Quick Look at the Science

Some city leaders and online commenters are puzzled by videos that show snow staying solid when a flame is held near it. One clip features a man holding a lighter to a snowball, and the snow doesn’t melt or drip. Commenters claim it looks like fake snow.

The Science Behind the Effect

• Air‑rich structure – Real snow is 90–95 % air.
• Sublimation – When heat touches packed snow, a large portion changes directly from solid to vapor. The snow can “disappear” without becoming liquid water first.
• Soot source – The dark residue on the surface comes from the fuel in a lighter or match, not from the snow itself.
• Odor – The smell is the burning of that fuel; incomplete combustion can give a plastic‑smoke note.

Try It Yourself

1. Pack a snowball tightly.
2. Hold a butane lighter on it for a few seconds.
3. Observe: only a faint scorch mark and minimal water dripping, even though the snowball feels solid.

Fake Snow vs. Real Snow

• Artificial snow is technically possible but requires massive resources.
• Ski resorts spray water into cold air to create snow, but covering an entire city would need billions of gallons and enormous energy—an impractical, obvious endeavor.
• Real snow’s resistance to flame is due to its high air content and sublimation; the “burning” effect is simply fuel combustion on a cold surface, not proof of fake snow.

In short, real snow can resist a flame because of its structure and sublimation. The effect is purely physical, not evidence that the snow is fabricated.