A snow flurry is a brief gust of wind accompanied by a burst of snow, common in all snowy climates and not unheard of in temperate ones. Usually, snow flurries take the bystander by surprise, sometimes appearing out of nowhere on a perfectly sunny day and blasting the unsuspecting with a brief shot of bitter cold. Often, snow flurries indicate that a more serious front is on the way.

When snow flurries fall on ground that is already snow covered, the snow that falls usually sticks, because the ambient temperature is far enough before the freezing point that snow can remain without melting. On warmer days, the snow will melt and disappear almost as quickly as the snow flurry appeared. Especially in temperate climates, snow flurries can be quite exciting, because usually people only see rain or occasional sleet in the winter. Some urban areas, such as San Francisco, which rarely experiences snow, will be momentarily shocked by a snow flurry.

Usually, snow flurries are not dangerous, although they can be disconcerting. In the case of a heavy snow flurry, the weather might pose a hazard to unprepared drivers who have to contend with brief limited visibility and a slurry of snow on the roads that will change the way a vehicle handles. Injury due to exposure is rare in the case of a snow flurry, although the brief compromise to visibility and increased slipperiness may lead to pratfalls. In general, however, snow flurries are merely surprising, and sometimes pleasantly playful.

Snow is a common meteorological phenomenon and a crucial part of the water cycle. When water evaporates, it cycles up into the sky, where it often reforms into droplets, seen in the form of clouds. When the droplets become heavy enough, they fall as rain. However, in some areas, the droplets freeze and fall as snow. If the temperature remains low all the way down, the droplets will retain their snow crystal formation, which many people find deeply pleasurable for walking in, recreating on, and hurling at each other.

Snow flurries are caused by isolated patches of clouds containing droplets heavy enough to precipitate out as snow. Because they are usually small, snow flurries are difficult to predict, since they do not show up on weather radar or in weather observation stations, and they are usually too ephemeral to be noted. Should you witness a snow flurry, you should probably run outside quickly to experience it, or you will probably miss it.