> 5. Snow is easiest to shovel when it’s just fallen. The more time passes, the more freeze-thaw cycles – even gentle ones – build up and make the fallen snow denser and tougher. (This might be less true in very cold places where it never gets above freezing during the day? I don’t know, honestly.)

If it is very cold and no freeze-thaw cycle, the snow is very... Dry and grainy and still OK for shoveling.

But yes, the puffy stuff just fallen from sky is very nice for shoveling.