ablation - the process of being removed. Snow ablation usually refers to removal by melting
accretion - growth of precipitation particles by collision of ice crystals with supercooled liquid droplets which freeze on impact

anchor ice - Submerged ice attached or anchored to the river bed, irrespective of the nature of its formation.
avalanche - large amount of snow that falls down a slope due to gravity
blizzard - winds of at least 35 miles per hour along with considerable falling and/or blowing snow reducing visibility to less than one-quarter mile for a period of at least three hours.
blowing snow - windriven snow
boilerplate - skiing term for ice that forms from liquid water (as opposed to compressed snow)
bottom ice - ice that is anchored to the bottom of a body of water and cannot float

border ice - ice formed along and fastened to the shore. Border ice does not extend the entire width across the river. Also called shore ice.

breakup jam- accumulation of broken ice pieces that restricts the flow of water; may contain frazil ice or remnants of freezeup jam.

candled ice - decayed sheet ice that takes the appearance of thin vertical crystals shaped like candles.
cellular ice - growing ice crystal that proceeds as a bunch of hexagonal prisms
corn snow - snow that has partly melted and refrozen and acts like ball-bearings
cornice - drift of snow that overhangs a precipice
closed cavity ice - a formation like depth hoar that forms from ground water in underground cavities
crushed ice - for cocktails crust - hard cohesive layer overtop of softer snow
crystal - regular arrangement of water molecules with long-range order
cubic ice - ice with cubic symmetry
dendrite - hexagonal ice crystals with complex and often fernlike branches.
depth hoar - large (one to several millimeters in diameter), cohesionless, coarse, faceted snow crystals which result from the presence of strong temperature gradients within the snowpack
dry accretion - accretion through sublimation
dusting - very light snowfall, usually of ice crystals that form in the lower atmosphere
evaporative icing - ice that forms in an engine due to the cooling effect from
evaporation of fuel
fast ice - sea ice that forms at the shore and remains fast
firn - glacial snow that has survived at least one season
flake ice - ice that is fractured parallel to the c-axis to create flakes
flurry - snowfall combined with wind frazil - fine, small, needle-like structures or thin, flat, circular plates of ice suspended in water. In rivers and lakes it is formed in turbulent water as supercooled water is brought to the surface
frazil pans - Sometimes referred to as pancake ice. Circular flat accumulations composed of frazil and slush ice with a raised rim; the shape and rim are due to repeated collisions. freeze - the process of solidification of water freezeup jam - accumulation of frazil that restricts the flow of water; may contain some broken border ice pieces. frost - ice that sublimates onto a surface
frozen water - water in the crystalline solid state
glacier - snow that accumulates over many years with sufficient weight to form ice under the surface
glaze ice - rain that falls on supercooled objects and immediately turns to ice
graupel - snowflakes that become rounded pellets due to riming. Typical sizes are two to five millimeters in diameter (0.1 to 0.2 inches). Graupel is sometimes mistaken for hail.
grease ice - a later stage of freezing than frazil ice when the crystals have coagulated to form a soupy layer on the surface. Grease ice reflects little light, giving the surface a matt appearance
hail - frozen raindrops
hardpack - snow that has been packed to the point where it does not yield to
body weight
hexagonal ice - ice with hexagonal symmetry
hoarfrost - frost that grows outward from its substrate
ice - crystalline water
ice I through ice IVX - different crystalline arrangements that form under various temperature-pressure situations. Read all about the potential hazards of ice IX in Kurt Vonnegut's novel "Cat's Cradle".
iceberg - part of a glacier that calves into the ocean and floats with the currents