Snow Block

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]

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[]

Crafting[]

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 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[]

Sounds[]

Java Edition:

Bedrock Edition:

Data values[]

ID[]

Java Edition:

Bedrock Edition:

History[]

Java Edition Alpha
v1.0.5					Added snow blocks.
					Snow blocks drop 6 snowballs instead of 4.
v1.0.5_01					A shovel is now required to obtain snowballs from snow.
					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.
					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]
					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.
					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.
		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.
					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.
					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.

See also[]

• Snowfall
• Snow golem

Notes[]

References[]

External Links[]

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