Weather Words: Dusting

A dusting of snow is winter’s lightest touch! It’s just enough flakes to whiten the ground, but not enough to measure officially.

It’s the kind of snowfall that transforms the landscape into a soft, powdered version of itself without disrupting daily life (at least not too much). Sidewalks and roads can definitely become slick, while rooftops and lawns pick up a thin, delicate coating that in some cases melts as quickly as it arrives.

Dustings happen when moisture is limited or when snow showers are brief and fast-moving. In these cases, temperatures are cold enough for flakes to stick to colder surfaces, but the atmosphere simply doesn’t produce enough snow to accumulate meaningfully. Sometimes the warm ground plays a role, too; snow may stick to grassy or elevated surfaces but melt on roads and driveways.

Even though a dusting is minimal, it can still create a beautiful landscape, especially early in the season or after a long stretch without snow. The thin, bright coating can make everything feel quieter and more peaceful.

Jennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.