student asking question

Is there any difference between saying "it's snowing" and "it's snowy"?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Yes, they are slightly different in nuance. "It's snowing" means that it is currently snowing, i.e. it is ongoing. "It's snowy" can be an indication of the fact that there is snow outside in general, and doesn't mean that snow is falling in that moment. Thus, it's best to use "it's snowing" when snow is actually falling, and "it's snowy" to indicate that snow is on the ground outside but not necessarily snowing at that moment in time. Ex: I hate commuting when it's snowy. Traffic gets bad and it's dangerous to drive. Ex: It's so snowy outside, let's go sledding!

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