Snow quick facts
- Made infinitely by the Cryoblaster, or dug from Frostbed
- Freezes Lava into Scoria and deep Water into Ice
- Burns to create Steam, which helps a water loop
- One pixel of Snow can freeze several pixels
Cold mechanic
Sandustry Snow: Make It, Freeze with It, and Burn It
Snow looks like a niche material, but it does three useful jobs at once: it freezes Lava into Scoria, freezes deep Water into Ice, and burns into Steam for a water loop that can be sustained once the full chain is built.
Cryoblaster
Frostbed digging
Freeze and solidify
Steam support
v0.5.6 note: Lasers can now melt Ice. If an older Snow or Ice-control layout depends on Ice remaining in place near Laser paths, re-check the route on the current build.
Where Snow Comes From
Snow comes from two different routes, and only one of them starts in research. You can dig it directly out of Frostbed or generate it later with the Cryoblaster.
The Cryoblaster
This tool shoots a stream of Snow and can generate it indefinitely. It unlocks through Research in Tier 2 for 1,000 Gold, which makes Snow a practical, on-demand resource rather than a found one.
Dig up Frostbed
Frostbed is frozen ground that is too hard to melt; you have to break it with digging tools. When destroyed, it yields Snow that can then be transported and used.
What Snow Freezes
Snow's special value is that it changes hot and liquid trouble into solid, safe materials. This is the mechanic you rely on most in a Lava-heavy or flooding area.
Turn Lava into Scoria
When Snow touches Lava, the Lava changes into Scoria and the Snow is consumed. A single pixel of Snow freezes multiple pixels, so a little goes a long way.
Turn deep Water into Ice
Snow on deep Water replaces it with Ice and is consumed. This is a raw control tool when a body of water is spreading where you do not want it.
Shallow contact upgrades nothing
If the Water or Lava is only one pixel deep, or if it has been dropped onto the Snow, the Snow is consumed with no Ice or Scoria produced. Depth matters.
Snow for a Sustained Water Loop
One reason Snow matters beyond freezing is that it can feed a Water-and-Steam loop many mid-game factories use once the inputs are in place.
Snow burns into Steam
Snow is burnable, and burning it creates Steam. That connects Snow directly to the steam system and, through condensation, back into Water.
The Cryoblaster can support a long-running supply
Because Snow can ultimately be transformed into Water, the Cryoblaster can support a very long-running water supply, even if the conversion is slow and setup-bound.
Powered Snow: The Snowmaker
A dedicated building can replace manual Snow production and tie the Snow branch to the Energy system.
Snowmaker
Official research places it in Tier 5 at 2,500 Gold. It is a powered structure that converts Water into Snow using Energy.
Energy and the cold chain
The Snowmaker runs on Energy. See the Energy page for the power side of the chain.
Core snow rule
Snow matters because it changes dangerous fluids into solid resources and can also feed the Steam side of the factory when you burn it.
What still depends on the build
Cryoblaster coverage, Snowmaker efficiency, and freeze-chamber shape still depend on map geometry, energy supply, and whether you are solving Lava control or Water recovery.
Featured Questions
How do I get Snow in Sandustry?
You can dig Frostbed, use the Cryoblaster, or, after unlocking the building, use a Snowmaker that converts Water and Energy into Snow.
What does Snow freeze?
Snow can freeze Lava into Scoria and deep Water into Ice, which makes it useful for both hazard control and resource handling.
Why does Snow matter beyond freezing?
Because burning Snow creates Steam, tying the cold branch back into the wider water and recovery loop.
Related Guides
Use Blueprints when Snow needs a place in the layout; use Troubleshooting when a Snow-fed line stalls.