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Gimnath Perera
Gimnath Perera

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❄️ frost-react: instant snowfall for React

#webdev #npm #frostreact #snowfall

frost-react: instant snowfall for React

Every December, every product launch, every fun landing page — I kept running into the same tiny problem: “I just want a clean snowfall effect in my React app… why is this so complicated?” That frustration is exactly why I built frost-react.

frost-react is a lightweight, accessible, and customizable snowfall animation component for React — designed to be simple to use, performant, and pleasant for both developers and users.

🌨 What is frost-react?

frost-react is an npm package that provides a <Snowfall /> React component. Drop it into your app and you instantly get a smooth snowfall animation — no canvas setup, no animation math, no performance headaches.

Built with:
⚛️ React

🧠 TypeScript
⚡ performance-first defaults
♿ accessibility in mind
📦 zero runtime dependencies (besides React)

👉 GitHub: https://github.com/gimnathperera/frost-react

👉 npm: https://www.npmjs.com/package/frost-react

🤔 Why I built this library

1) Existing solutions felt overkill. Most animation libraries are either extremely generic (you still have to build snowfall logic yourself) or heavy and over-engineered for something purely visual. I wanted something that feels like <Snowfall /> — no config required unless you want it.

2) Performance matters (especially on mobile). Snowfall is purely decorative; it should never make your app feel slow. frost-react automatically reduces flake count on mobile, avoids unnecessary re-renders, and keeps animations smooth on low-powered devices. You still get control, but the defaults are safe.

3) Accessibility should not be optional. Many users prefer reduced motion. frost-react respects prefers-reduced-motion, uses clean layering with z-index, and ships with non-intrusive defaults that don’t block interaction. Animation should enhance UX — not harm it.

🚀 Installation & quick start

Install it like any normal npm package:

npm install frost-react
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Use it in your app:

import { Snowfall } from "frost-react";

export default function App() {
  return (
    <>
      <Snowfall />
      <main>Your app content</main>
    </>
  );
}
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That’s it. You now have snowfall. ❄️

🎛 Customization without the pain

Tweak the animation easily via props:

<Snowfall
  flakeCount={120}
  wind={[-30, 30]}
  speed={[6, 14]}
  size={[12, 28]}
  opacity={[0.5, 0.9]}
  color="#ffffff"
/>
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Available props

Prop What it controls
enabled Turn snowfall on/off
flakeCount Number of snowflakes
snowflakeCharacter Emoji or character used
speed Falling speed
size Snowflake size
opacity Transparency
wind Horizontal drift
color Snow color
zIndex Layer positioning
className / style Custom styling

All props are fully typed with TypeScript.

🧩 Works with modern React frameworks

frost-react plays nicely with modern setups:

  • Next.js (SSR safe)
  • Remix
  • Vite
  • CRA
  • ESM & CommonJS

No window crashes on the server. No hacks.

🧠 Developer experience matters

  • Full TypeScript support and clean internal architecture
  • Storybook playground for testing
  • Sensible defaults with escape hatches
  • Zero unnecessary dependencies

Small library. Clean responsibility.

🎄 When should you use frost-react?

  • Holiday landing pages or seasonal UI flair
  • Marketing sites and fun dashboards
  • Temporary events (Xmas, New Year, winter promos)

If you want joy without bloat — this fits.

🧊 Final thoughts

frost-react exists because I wanted a snowfall effect that looks good, performs well, respects users, and doesn’t fight developers. It’s intentionally small, focused, and opinionated — in a good way. If you try it out, break it, improve it, or build something fun with it — I’d love to see it.

Happy coding,
Gimnath❄️

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