English Reference
Verb

snowing

v.
A1 Beginner US /ˈsnoʊɪŋ/ UK /snˈəʊɪŋ/ snow·ing

v.when soft, white pieces of frozen water fall from the sky.

v.the precipitation of frozen water in the form of hexagonal crystals. Used almost exclusively with the dummy subject 'it'.


SIMPLE

It is snowing outside right now.

CONTEXTUAL

We stayed inside all morning because it was snowing too hard to see the road.

COMPLEX

The weather forecast predicted a light dusting, but by midnight it was snowing heavily enough to bury the garden fence entirely.

Usage

Typically used with the impersonal 'it' as the subject ('It is snowing').

Pitfall
The sky is snowingIt is snowing

English uses the dummy subject 'it' for weather verbs; the sky or the clouds are not used as the subject.

This entry
Level A1 · Beginner
Frequency Occasional
Updated