I've never seen it do so, usually when there is a storm you get hail and sleet rather than snow. Sleet is a mixture of cold rain and small particles of ice which is mildly painful on exposed flesh. Hail is larger pieces of ice (usually 1/8th to 1/4 of an inch diameter but some as large as golf balls have been recorded), this is very painful to be caught out in.
>What are some of
>the more powerful or unusual effects of snow and snow storms?
The landscape changes subtly so it's easy to get lost - snow tends to blow into hollows so the ground is flattened out and the earth may be a couple of inches or several feet below. At night it is remarkably light - quite easy to see in but with lots of dark shadows. A real snowstorm is a problem partially because of the wind blowing cold snow at you but even more because visibility is as poor as in a fog. Even a moderate snow storm can reduce visibility to just a few yards.
For impressive effects you have the Northern/Southern Lights, in the RW that's sunlight reflecting off ice crystals in the air. I'm sure Glorantha has something similar although the origins will be different.
>What do (non-hibernating) animals do?
If it's just snow they carry on as normal, if there's sleet, hail or a cold wind they will shelter from the worst.
>And what does it mean for it to be so cold 'you can hear it'?
Could mean almost anything, snow muffles sound which combined with a lack of insects and birds and animals keeping quiet makes for a strange lack of noise. Conversely as snow compacts, melts and refreezes it moves making strange groaning noises which in mountains can indicate avalanches.
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/
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