Why does snow squeak when you walk on it? I am sure you have noticed that the colder the temperature, the fluffier the snow and the squeakier the sound it makes when you walk on it. One explanation is that when the air and snow are only slightly below freezing, pressure from walking compresses and partially melts the snow crystals underfoot. Now, lubricated by a thin film of water, the snow can flow and little sound is made.

But on cold days, when the temperature is, say 4 degrees or lower, foot pressure is not sufficient to melt the snow. Instead, when you step down, the individual cold ice crystals move abruptly, slipping and crashing into each other. The sudden rubbing or smashing produces that familiar cold-weather creaking sound. Because the sound produced by snow is related to how cold it is, you can use it to tell the temperature. The louder the snow cries the colder the temperature of both the air and snow. Another possible explanation is that the pressure of stepping on the air-filled snowflakes rapidly expels the air and produces the characteristic squeak or crunchy noise we know so well.