Can the temperature be too cold to snow?

It can never be too cold to snow. However, heavier snowfall occurs when the temperature near the ground is 15 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Warmer temperatures allow more water vapor to stay in the air.

The belief that it can be too cold for snow may originate from the fact that colder temperatures allow for less water vapor in the air. When this is the case, lighter snowfall can still occur but not as much as with warmer temperatures. Snow requires three basic components: temperature that allows snow to reach the surface, saturated air, and the lifting of the saturated air to allow snow to form and then fall to the surface.