Meaning & use
blanket snow
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Meaning
noununcountable
A thick, even layer of snow that covers the ground like a cloth.
Grammar: Usually used with 'a' or 'the': a blanket of snow, or simply 'blanket snow' in weather reports.
Patterns
- a blanket of snow
- under a blanket of snow
- blanket snow cover
A blanket of snow covered the whole village by morning.
The fields lay under a deep blanket of snow for weeks.
Warm blanket snow insulates the soil and protects the roots below.
Common combinations
- a thick blanket of snow
- A thick blanket of snow buried the garden paths overnight.
- under a blanket of snow
- The mountains stayed under a blanket of snow until April.
- a fresh blanket of snow
- Children ran outside to play in the fresh blanket of snow.
- blanket snow cover
- Weather maps showed blanket snow cover across the northern counties.
Synonyms and how they differ
- snow cover
- More neutral and technical; it describes the extent of snow rather than its soft, covering quality.
- snowfall
- Refers to snow falling from the sky, not to the layer already lying on the ground.
Word family
- blanket verb
- To cover something completely, as snow does: 'Snow blanketed the town.'
- blanketed adjective
- Covered over completely, often by snow or darkness.
Commonly confused: blanket snow or blanket? blanket snow or blizzard?
blanket snow vs blanket
A blanket is a warm bed cover; 'blanket snow' uses the same word figuratively for a layer that covers everything.
blanket snow vs blizzard
A blizzard is a violent snowstorm with strong wind, while blanket snow describes the calm layer left on the ground.
Practice
After the storm, the garden lay ______ of snow.
Choose one answer.
'Under a blanket of snow' is the established phrase for ground covered by snow. 'Rug', 'carpet' and 'quilt' are real coverings, but only 'blanket' is used this way with snow.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “blanket snow”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.