'Xià xuě' literally combines the verb 'xià' (to fall, descend) and the noun 'xuě' (snow), forming a compound verb meaning 'to snow' — describing the natural phenomenon of snow falling from the sky. Unlike English, which uses a single intransitive verb, Chinese constructs this action by pairing a motion verb with its object, though here the object has become grammatically fused into a fixed verbal expression.

This term is used exclusively for weather descriptions and appears in present, past, or future tenses with appropriate aspect markers or time words (e.g., 'zài xià xuě' for 'is snowing', 'céng jīng xià xuě' for 'once snowed'). It does not take an object — you cannot say *'xià xuě le yī chǎng' (incorrect); instead, use 'xià le yī chǎng xuě'. It’s neutral in register and common in both spoken and written Mandarin, especially in weather reports, daily conversation, and seasonal narratives.