Google Let It Snow Easter Egg: Draw in the Frost
Quick Facts
- Summary
- Snow falls over the results page and frost spreads. Draw in it, then press “Defrost” to start again.
- Creator
- Launched
- 2011-12
- Status
- Restored
(Discontinued by Google)
Try the Easter Egg
The Original Easter Egg
How It Started
Google’s “Let It Snow” Easter egg first appeared in December 2011 as a holiday surprise in the search results. Typing “let it snow” started an animation that turned an ordinary results page into a snowy window.
What It Did
Snowflakes floated down from the top of the screen and slowly piled up on the page. At the same time, a foggy frost crept over everything, just like a window on a cold day. You could draw in the frost with your mouse, and a handy “Defrost” button let you clear the glass and start the snow all over again.
Impact and Reach
The effect treated the results page as a frosted window. Visitors could draw through the frost and clear it with “Defrost,” making the seasonal animation interactive.
Its Discontinuation
The official Google version was a holiday effect from winter 2011, and it had stopped working by spring 2012.
The Restored Experience
What’s Different Here
Snow and frost build up over the results just as they did in the original. You can still draw through the frost to reveal the page or clear it with “Defrost”; both interactions work in current browsers on computers and phones.
The Easter Egg Experience
Click the button above to start the snowfall. As frost spreads over the results, drag your mouse or finger across it to draw clear trails. Press “Defrost” to clear the view and start the snow again.
How to Try It
- Click the button above to begin.
- Watch snowflakes fall and collect at the bottom of the page.
- As frost covers the results, hold down the mouse button and drag to draw in it, or trace with your finger on a touchscreen.
- Press “Defrost” to clear the view and start the snow again.
The frost gradually hides more of the results as you wait. Drawing clears only the paths you trace; “Defrost” clears the whole view.
Final Thoughts
The results page becomes a winter window, with clear trails wherever you draw through the frost.
Try the Easter Egg
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is Google’s “Let It Snow” Easter egg?
Google’s “Let It Snow” is an Easter egg that covers your search results with falling snow and a layer of frost. You can draw in the frost with your mouse and clear it all with the “Defrost” button.
It first appeared in December 2011 as a holiday surprise and had stopped working by spring 2012. This page brings it back whenever you like.
How do I trigger Google’s “Let It Snow” Easter egg?
On Google, searching for “let it snow” started the effect. To try the restoration, open our Let It Snow page and click the button above. Snowflakes fall and frost gradually covers the results. Drag through the frost to draw, or press “Defrost” to clear it and restart the snowfall.
