firn(névé) Snow that has survived a summer melting season. It is an intermediate material in the conversion of snow to glacial ice. Normally it is granular, owing to the partial melt. The obsolete German word firn means ‘of last year’; Firner means ‘everlasting snow’ or ‘snow that remains from last year’.

firn (név é) Snow that has survived a summer melting season. It is an intermediate material in the conversion of snow to glacial ice. Normally it is granular, due to the partial melt.