Many mice, moles, voles, and shrews, which are normally solitary animals will often become colonial in the winter months, huddling together in tunnels for warmth. A winter with very little snow can be devastating to small mammals who rely on the snow for protection from predators and for warmth. The fur of weasels changes to white in the winter, except for a black tip on the tail. Predators focus on the black tip of the tail, not the more vulnerable white torso. In addition, the hare grows additional fur on its hind legs, making it that much easier to stay on top of the snowpack.
Snow can be harmful and beneficial at the same time.
The layer of snow that allows a snowshoe hare to reach new branches to feed on can force the fox, which can easily walk through six inches of snow, to have to bound through the snow, greatly increasing its energy output. In a direct way, snow controls the character and composition of life throughout the winter for many animals.