# Falling Snow with Depth and Gusts A shadcn/ui block from the [@weinc](https://we.inc/components?utm_source=shadcn.exchange) registry, listed on [shadcn.exchange](https://shadcn.exchange/r/weinc/falling-snow-particle-background-with-depth-and-wind-gusts). - Page, with a live preview: https://shadcn.exchange/r/weinc/falling-snow-particle-background-with-depth-and-wind-gusts - Screenshot: https://shadcn.exchange/shot/weinc/falling-snow-particle-background-with-depth-and-wind-gusts/light.png - Registry item: https://we.inc/r/falling-snow-particle-background-with-depth-and-wind-gusts.json - Listed: 2026-10-28, source last changed 2026-10-28 ## Install ```bash npx shadcn@latest add https://shadcn.exchange/r/weinc/falling-snow-particle-background-with-depth-and-wind-gusts.json ``` Run it in a project that has shadcn/ui set up. It adds the files below and installs what they depend on. ## Files ### `components/we-inc/falling-snow-particle-background-with-depth-and-wind-gusts.tsx` ```tsx import { useEffect, useRef } from "react"; // Falling Snow with Depth and Gusts: a canvas 2D particle background behind a small hero. // Sprites are drawn once to small offscreen canvases, motion is scaled by frame // time, the loop stops off screen, and reduced motion gets one settled frame. // Values worth changing: const FLAKES_PER_MPX = 420; // snowfall density per million pixels const SNOW = "238,243,250"; // flake colour, as r,g,b const WIND = 1; // gust strength: 0 for still air, 2 for a blizzard const FALL_SPEED = 1; // how fast flakes sink const WARMUP = 150; // frames simulated before the first paint type Ptr = { x: number; y: number; on: boolean }; type Scene = { update: (dt: number, t: number) => void; draw: (c: CanvasRenderingContext2D, t: number) => void }; function glow(size: number, rgb: string, stops: number[][]): HTMLCanvasElement { const c = document.createElement("canvas"); c.width = c.height = size; const g = c.getContext("2d")!; const r = size / 2; const grd = g.createRadialGradient(r, r, 0, r, r, r); for (const [o, a] of stops) grd.addColorStop(o, `rgba(${rgb},${a})`); g.fillStyle = grd; g.fillRect(0, 0, size, size); return c; } function mount(canvas: HTMLCanvasElement, root: HTMLElement): () => void { const ctx = canvas.getContext("2d"); if (!ctx) return () => {}; const still = window.matchMedia("(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)").matches; const ptr: Ptr = { x: -1e4, y: -1e4, on: false }; let w = 0, h = 0, t = 0, last = 0, raf = 0, seen = true; let scene: Scene | null = null; const fit = () => { const r = canvas.getBoundingClientRect(); if (scene && Math.abs(r.width - w) < 1 && Math.abs(r.height - h) < 1) return; const dpr = Math.min(window.devicePixelRatio || 1, 1.5); w = Math.max(1, r.width); h = Math.max(1, r.height); canvas.width = Math.round(w * dpr); canvas.height = Math.round(h * dpr); ctx.setTransform(dpr, 0, 0, dpr, 0, 0); scene = createScene(w, h, ptr); for (let i = 0; i < WARMUP; i++) { t += 1 / 30; scene.update(1 / 30, t); } scene.draw(ctx, t); }; const frame = (now: number) => { const dt = Math.min(0.05, Math.max(0, (now - last) / 1000)); last = now; t += dt; if (scene) { scene.update(dt, t); scene.draw(ctx, t); } raf = requestAnimationFrame(frame); }; const run = () => { cancelAnimationFrame(raf); raf = 0; if (!still && seen && !document.hidden) { last = performance.now(); raf = requestAnimationFrame(frame); } }; const ro = new ResizeObserver(fit); ro.observe(canvas); const io = new IntersectionObserver((es) => { seen = es[es.length - 1].isIntersecting; run(); }); io.observe(canvas); document.addEventListener("visibilitychange", run); fit(); run(); return () => { cancelAnimationFrame(raf); ro.disconnect(); io.disconnect(); document.removeEventListener("visibilitychange", run); }; } function createScene(w: number, h: number, _ptr: Ptr): Scene { const n = Math.min(760, Math.round(((w * h) / 1e6) * FLAKES_PER_MPX)); const crisp = glow(16, SNOW, [[0, 1], [0.4, 0.85], [1, 0]]); const soft = glow(64, SNOW, [[0, 0.55], [0.45, 0.22], [1, 0]]); const ps = Array.from({ length: n }, () => ({ x: Math.random() * w, y: Math.random() * h, z: Math.random() ** 1.4, s: Math.random() * 99 })); let gust = 0; return { update(dt, t) { // Wind is a mix of slow swells plus a rare, strong gust. const target = (Math.sin(t * 0.13) * 0.5 + Math.sin(t * 0.37 + 1.3) * 0.3 + Math.max(0, Math.sin(t * 0.11 - 1)) ** 6 * 2.4) * 46 * WIND; gust += (target - gust) * Math.min(1, dt * 0.9); for (const p of ps) { const depth = 0.25 + p.z * 1.25; p.y += (12 + p.z * 48) * FALL_SPEED * dt; p.x += (gust * depth + Math.sin(t * 0.7 + p.s) * (5 + p.z * 12)) * dt; if (p.y > h + 40) { p.y = -40; p.x = Math.random() * w; } if (p.x > w + 40) p.x -= w + 80; else if (p.x < -40) p.x += w + 80; } }, draw(c) { c.clearRect(0, 0, w, h); for (const p of ps) { if (p.z > 0.9) { const s = 14 + (p.z - 0.9) * 280; c.globalAlpha = 0.5; c.drawImage(soft, p.x - s / 2, p.y - s / 2, s, s); } else { const s = 1.6 + p.z * 5.5; c.globalAlpha = 0.3 + p.z * 0.65; c.drawImage(crisp, p.x - s / 2, p.y - s / 2, s, s); } } c.globalAlpha = 1; }, }; } export default function FallingSnowDepthGusts() { const canvasRef = useRef(null); const rootRef = useRef(null); useEffect(() => { if (!canvasRef.current || !rootRef.current) return; return mount(canvasRef.current, rootRef.current); }, []); return (
); } ```