15 Local Expressions for Winter Weather Phenomena

Americans are rich in regional phrases for snow and winter conditions. Explore 15 unique terms from across the U.S., documented in the Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE).

Cat’s Track

A light dusting of snow is often referred to as cat’s track, a phrase popular in Maine, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Wisconsin. As one Wisconsin local puts it, “If the snow is deep enough to see a cat’s paw prints, it’s considered a snowfall.” On the other hand, minimal snow might be described as “not even enough to spot a cat’s trail.”

Skift

Skift describes a light snowfall or a delicate layer of snow, frost, or ice, as noted in DARE. This term is commonly used across most of the U.S., except in the Northeast, South, and Southwest.

Skimp

If you hear someone in Iowa, Kentucky, Indiana, or north-central Arkansas warn, “Be careful of that skimp,” pay attention. They’re referring to a delicate layer of ice or snow. Skimp can also function as a verb, meaning to form a thin frozen coating.

Goose Down

In Alabama, a light snowfall might be described as goose down.

Goosefeathers

In Vermont, you might hear the term goosefeathers used to describe large, fluffy snowflakes.

The Old Woman Is Picking Her Geese

This vivid expression for it’s snowing is particularly popular in the Appalachians, often paired with the old woman’s a-losin’ her feathers. In Kentucky, you might encounter the phrase Aunt Dinah’s picking her geese.

Scutch

In Delaware, a light snowfall or flurry is often called scutch. This term may derive from scuds, a Scottish word referring to ale or beer.

Snow Squall

Why settle for snow shower when you can use snow squall? Primarily used in the Northeast, this phrase describes a brief, intense snowstorm. Its first recorded use in American English dates back to 1775.

Flour-Sifter Snow

If you find yourself in Montana witnessing fine, small-flaked snow, you might exclaim, “Looks like we’ve got some flour-sifter snow!”

Corn Snow

You’re familiar with it, and it’s not your favorite: that coarse, grainy snow formed by cycles of melting and refreezing. The term corn snow is commonly used in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Oregon.

Hominy Snow

If you prefer grits, you might appreciate the term hominy snow, which originates from the South Midland states. The word hominy, meaning boiled ground corn, has Native American roots, likely derived from the Algonquian word uskatahomen, meaning “parched corn.”

Grampel

In northeast Washington and southwest Oregon, a snow pellet resembling hail is called grampel, likely a variation of graupel, meaning “soft hail.” The term graupel has German origins, stemming from graupel wetter, which translates to “sleet weather.”

Snirt

This Upper Midwest term, which might sound like a mix of a snort and a chuckle, actually describes a combination of wind-driven snow and dirt. The name itself is a blend of snow and dirt.

Sposh

In earlier times, New Englanders used the term sposh to describe slush or mud. The word likely has imitative origins and may be influenced by similar terms like slush, slosh, and splash.

Post-Holing

Have you ever walked in snow so deep that every step makes you sink? That’s called post-holing or post-holing it, a term used in Colorado, Arkansas, Montana, and northwest Massachusetts. The word post refers to a fence post, and hole to the hole dug to set it in the ground. Now, we just need a term for sinking knee-deep when stepping off a curb into slush mistaken for ice.