text: difference between  ice and snow? what is the difference between ice and snow?  when and at what temperature does the transformation take place? both ice and snow are frozen water.  snow flakes are crystalized.  if you catch a "fresh" snowflake in the air with a glove, you can see that it really looks like the pictures of snowflakes - hexagonal, and symmetric.  for snow to change into ice, it has to melt first (getting rid of that crystalization), and then refreeze.