Everyday English · A snowy day in Ontario: hearing the forecast, checking for bus cancellations, shovelling, walking safely and playing in the snow.
Snowy Days: 18 Everyday English Words for Winter
Learn the words you hear on a snowy day, such as flurries, slush, snowplow, black ice, wind chill and bus cancellation, with natural examples and practice.
What to do
In much of Ontario, the first real snow usually comes in November or December. Snowy days bring their own words, and you will hear them at home, on the radio, at school and outside.
A snowy morning often starts with a question: is it a snow day? In some school boards, school buses are cancelled in bad weather while schools stay open. Families check the board's website or the radio for bus cancellations before leaving.
Outside, the snow has many names. Light snow for a short time is flurries. Wet, half-melted snow is slush. A pile at the side of the road is a snowbank, and a pile blown by the wind is a snowdrift. The snowplow pushes snow off the street, and people shovel their driveways and sidewalks.
Some winter words are about safety. Black ice is thin and clear, so it is hard to see. The wind chill tells you how cold the air feels because of the wind. Frostbite can hurt skin that is not covered in very cold weather. The words are here so you understand them when you hear them, not to memorise in one day.
Core everyday words
snow day
noun phrase · SNOH DAYa day when school buses or schools are cancelled because of snow
Example: The radio said it might be a snow day tomorrow.
flurries
noun (plural) · FLUR-eezlight snow that falls for a short time
Example: There were a few flurries on the way to school.
snowstorm
noun · SNOH-storma storm with a lot of falling snow and often wind
Example: The snowstorm lasted all night.
shovel
verb · SHUV-ulto move snow with a long-handled scoop
Example: We shovelled the driveway before breakfast.
snowbank
noun · SNOH-banka high pile of snow at the side of a road or path
Example: The plow left a huge snowbank at the end of our driveway.
snowdrift
noun · SNOH-drifta pile of snow blown into one place by the wind
Example: Wind made a snowdrift against the fence.
slush
noun · SLUSHwet, half-melted snow
Example: My boots splashed through the slush at the corner.
icicle
noun · EYE-sih-kula pointed stick of ice hanging from a roof or branch
Example: Long icicles hung from the edge of the roof.
snowplow
noun · SNOH-plowa truck with a large blade that pushes snow off roads
Example: The snowplow came down our street at six in the morning.
black ice
noun phrase · BLAK EYESSa thin, clear layer of ice on a road or path that is hard to see
Example: Walk slowly; there might be black ice on the steps.
wind chill
noun phrase · WIND CHILhow cold the air feels on your skin because of the wind
Example: It's minus five, but with the wind chill it feels like minus fifteen.
frostbite
noun · FROST-bitean injury to skin, such as on fingers, toes or ears, caused by freezing cold
Example: Cover your ears so you don't get frostbite.
sled
noun · SLEDa small vehicle for sliding down snowy hills
Example: We pulled the sled to the top of the hill.
toboggan
noun · tuh-BOG-una long, flat sled with a curled front
Example: Four of us fit on the toboggan.
snowball
noun · SNOH-bawla ball of snow pressed together with your hands
Example: Only throw snowballs where the rules allow it.
snow fort
noun phrase · SNOH FORTa small shelter or wall built out of snow for play
Example: We built a snow fort in the backyard.
boot tray
noun phrase · BOOT TRAYa shallow tray by the door where wet boots go
Example: Put your boots on the boot tray, not on the carpet.
bus cancellation
noun phrase · BUS kan-suh-LAY-shuna notice that school buses will not run that day
Example: Check the board website for bus cancellations before you leave.
Recognise the word
Recognise the word
Choose the meaning or the word that fits.
1. What is slush?
- a pointed stick of ice
- light, dry snow
- wet, half-melted snow
- a pile of snow made by the wind
2. What does a snowplow do?
- It pushes snow off the road with a big blade.
- It makes snow fall faster.
- It melts ice with heat.
- It builds snow forts.
3. Why is black ice dangerous?
- It is very sticky.
- It is always deep.
- It only forms indoors.
- It is thin and clear, so it is hard to see.
4. "It's minus five, but with the wind chill it feels like minus fifteen." What is the wind chill?
- the time the wind starts
- how cold the air feels on your skin because of the wind
- the temperature inside the house
- the amount of snow
5. Which word means a pile of snow blown into one place by the wind?
- snowball
- snow fort
- snowdrift
- snowfall
Use the word in a situation
Use the word in a situation
Think about what people really say and do on a snowy day.
6. "Please put your wet boots on the ___, not on the carpet."
- boot tray
- sled
- snowbank
- icicle
7. "Before we go, let's check the board website for ___."
- snow angels
- hand warmers
- flurries
- bus cancellations
8. "Grab a shovel. We need to ___ the driveway before Dad leaves."
- sled
- shovel
- thaw
- plow ridge
9. "Cover your ears and fingers. In this cold you could get ___."
- slush
- flurries
- frostbite
- a snow day
10. "Buses are cancelled, but schools remain open." What does this mean?
- Buses are not running, but students who can get there safely may still attend school.
- Nobody can go to school.
- School is closed, but buses run.
- School starts an hour late.
Quick-check answers
- 1. wet, half-melted snow
Slush is soft and wet, the kind that splashes. An icicle is a stick of ice, powder is dry snow, and a snowdrift is a pile made by wind. - 2. It pushes snow off the road with a big blade.
A snowplow is a truck with a blade that pushes snow aside. It does not make or heat snow, and building forts is play, not a plow's job. - 3. It is thin and clear, so it is hard to see.
Black ice looks like the dark road or path under it, so people may not notice it and slip. It is not sticky or deep, and it forms outside. - 4. how cold the air feels on your skin because of the wind
Wind chill describes how cold it feels, which can be colder than the thermometer reading. It is not a time, an indoor temperature or a snow amount. - 5. snowdrift
A snowdrift is shaped by wind. A snowball is made by hands, a snow fort is built for play, and snowfall is the snow that falls. - 6. boot tray
A boot tray sits by the door to catch melting snow. The other words are snow things that do not belong by the door. - 7. bus cancellations
On a snowy morning, families check whether school buses are running. Flurries are weather, not a notice you check on a website. - 8. shovel
To shovel is to move snow with a shovel. Thaw means melt by itself, sled is something you ride, and a plow ridge is the heap you clear, not the action. - 9. frostbite
Frostbite is an injury to skin from freezing cold, so covering skin helps prevent it. The others are not injuries. - 10. Buses are not running, but students who can get there safely may still attend school.
Cancelled buses and an open school are two different things. The sentence does not say school is closed or starts late.