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“A snowflake danced upon the air. Then another. Dance with me, Jon Snow, he thought. You'll dance with me anon.” Please convince me this is related to future jonsa.

Dearest Stumpy ❤️

Apologies for the long wait on this one! As recompense here's an especially long answer!

Much like the Vale godswood passage in ASOS, Sansa VII, this imagery of dancing (and/or drifting) snowflakes is incredibly romantic. In an emotional sense, certainly, but also as an allusion to the Romantic movement, their reflective melancholy and reverence for the natural world — a literary movement we know GRRM is aware of and that I've talked about previously. I think that's why it is so striking and feels like there must be something being left unsaid there…

So, let's get right into it, looking first at this exchange though:

When Owen the Oaf began to dance with Patchface the fool, laughter echoed off the vaulted ceiling. The sight made Lady Alys smile. "Do you dance often, here at Castle Black?" "Every time we have a wedding, my lady." "You could dance with me, you know. It would be only courteous. You danced with me anon." "Anon?" teased Jon. "When we were children." She tore off a bit of bread and threw it at him. "As you know well." "My lady should dance with her husband." – ADWD, Jon X

What is quite remarkable and a bit weird about this interaction between Jon and Alys Karstark, which occurs prior to the quotation in your ask, is the use of the archaic word "anon" … or rather, I should say its misuse. Its usage above and in your asks' quotation are significant, I think, which is why I'm tackling it first and foremost. If we take a look at the Oxford English Dictionary, it has this definition:

So, with that meaning in mind, it becomes clear that while Alys meant to say, "You danced with me once before," her misuse of anon instead implies "You will dance with me soon/shortly." Jon immediately picks up on this fumble, though tellingly perhaps, he does not clarify this mix up to the reader, he simply repeats it quizzically and teasingly back to her. I'd wager that was very intentional on GRRM's part — an instance where he is encouraging his reader to do a bit of investigative work, instead of offering up a clear explanation right there on the page.

Realising her misuse of words, a flustered Alys throws a piece of bread at Jon — an action very evocative of Arya, imo. However, much like Ygritte at times evokes elements of both Arya and Sansa, so does Alys Karstark. Her throwing of the bread and her sisterly teasing suggest Arya, but her interest in dancing and her genteel tone ("It would be only courteous"), well, they very much evoke Sansa to me. But before I get into the ways in which Alys and dancing can be seen to hint towards Sansa and more specifically Jonsa, I want to look a little more into the use of anon.

An archaic, or old-fashioned, term, anon isn't out of place in the works of William Shakespeare for example, but it is also used by the likes of Tolkien as well:

Ever and anon Gandalf let blow the trumpets, and the heralds would cry: 'The Lords of Gondor are come! Let all leave this land or yield them up! – The Return of the King

According to the OED, it takes its origin from Old English, meaning "in or into (one state or course)." I don’t know if GRRM is aware of that earlier meaning, but it’s interesting to consider when we think about how dancing, or specifically the courtly dancing in ASOIAF, involves two people moving "in […] one state," in other words, together. Becoming one harmonious moving body. So, there is a sense of togetherness in the act of (paired) dancing, but also in the original use of the word anon as well.

In fact, the only instances in which this archaic word is used within the series is in the above passage and then again in the quotation featured in your ask! In both, it is specifically used alongside dancing, but also, it is used in a moment of separateness in relation to Jon:

On and on the wildlings came. The day grew darker, just as Tormund said. Clouds covered the sky from horizon to horizon, and warmth fled. There was more shoving at the gate, as men and goats and bullocks jostled each other out of the way. It is more than impatience, Jon realised. They are afraid. Warriors, spearwives, raiders, they are afraid of those woods, of shadows moving through the trees. They want to put the Wall between them before the night descends. A snowflake danced upon the air. Then another. Dance with me, Jon Snow, he thought. You’ll dance with me anon. – ADWD, Jon XII

In both moments in which dancing and anon are conflated, Jon stands notably apart, distinctly alone and separate… decidedly not "in […] one state or course" with another. Instead, he is a watcher, an observer. The above passage is arguably a quintessential Jon Snow positioning, physically emphasising his outsider status, his division from others… but then also highlighting it emotionally with that internal thought process. Earlier in ADWD, during the wedding festivities with Alys, Jon refuses her offer of a dance (the first "anon" mention), preferring to watch from the side-lines, a decision that seems somewhat like an act of self punishment. But for what reason?

What wall might Jon Snow wish to put between himself and his past? Between the Jon he was then, who "danced," and the Jon he is now… the Jon who might still "dance […] anon"?

Because while with Alys the use of anon is misused, in his later internal musings Jon uses it correctly. "You danced with me anon" vs. "You’ll dance with me anon." This correction is undoubtedly significant, detaching itself from Alys and instead signifying that the speaker of this second declaration and use of anon is not this newly introduced character, but someone else. Someone Jon already knows. Someone likely from "when we were children," from Jon’s life before coming to the Wall.

*cough* It's Sansa Stark. *cough*

A Dance with Her Husband

@astraphysical and I have speculated about how Sansa's dance partners in her TWOW chapter all reference Jon in some way, and even though it's been some time since we collaborated on that… I still stand by it and think it's a fun theory! Indeed, for both Jon and Sansa, implicit stand-ins and subtle references to the other arguably feature notably within their respective chapters. But looking specifically at the ways in which Alys Karstark mirrors and alludes to Sansa, it is interesting to note how dancing with one’s husband on your wedding day features in connection to both girls:

"My lady should dance with her husband." "My Magnar is not one for dancing, I fear. If you will not dance with me, at least pour me some of the mulled wine." – ADWD, Jon X

A lady should dance with her husband, Jon Snow says to Alys Karstark, a notion that speaks to the done way of things, to duty and honour, but also to his inherent romanticism me thinks. And this is a belief that Sansa Stark too shares, even in the worst of circumstances, with the worst of partners:

When the musicians began to play, she timidly laid her hand on Tyrion's and said, "My lord, should we lead the dance?" His mouth twisted. "I think we have already given them sufficient amusement for one day, don’t you?" "As you say, my lord." She pulled her hand back. Joffrey and Margaery led in their place. How can a monster dance so beautifully? Sansa wondered. She had often daydreamed of how she would dance at her wedding, with every eye upon her and her handsome lord. In her dreams they had all been smiling. Not even my husband is smiling. – ASOS, Sansa III

For albeit different reasons, Tyrion is likewise "not one for dancing," and so Sansa's dream of dancing with her future husband and lord, her expectation even, is thwarted. But unlike Tyrion, Sigorn does get up to dance, at Alys' insistence, regardless of his skill or how it might embarrass her and/or him. Again, this action of dragging him up to dance feels very Arya-like, but with the desire behind it — a love of dancing — strongly evoking Sansa:

The fish course was next, but as the pike was being boned Lady Alys dragged the Magnar up onto the floor. From the way he moved it was plain that Sigorn had never danced before, but he had drunk enough mulled wine so that did not seem to matter. – ADWD, Jon X

Similarly, Sansa's desire to dance trumps her propriety, but she does so without her husband as her partner and that is where Alys and Sansa divide.

Perhaps she ought to have remained beside her husband, but she wanted to dance so badly… – ASOS, Sansa III

Where Alys comes together with Sigorn in dance, "in […] one state" you might say, promising good things for their marriage, Sansa and Tyrion remain decidedly separate and alienated from one another — as they bloody well should, mind you! So, for Sansa this expectation of dancing with her husband remains tellingly unfulfilled, others "[lead] the dance," but perhaps she’ll dance with a true and wanted husband… anon. Because for both Jon and Sansa, this promise of a dance with a particular but unidentified partner is very significant and it is also strongly tied to the rituals of love and marriage. Once again, it is an example of their romantic sensibilities and deep held desires being in accord.

A Bastard and A Wildling Warrior

Just as a sidenote, the detail of Sigorn being "drunk enough [on] mulled wine" to have the courage to dance, even badly, is interesting when we remember that way back in AGOT, Jon I, Jon got drunk on "summerwine" and likely felt bold enough to express a few things he might not have otherwise:

[…] he was finding that he had a man's thirst, to the raucous delight of the youths around him, who urged him on every time he drained a glass. […] The procession had passed not a foot from the place he had been given on the bench, and Jon had gotten a good long look at them all. […] Sansa, two years older, drew the crown prince, Joffrey Baratheon […] Sansa looked radiant as she walked beside him, but Jon did not like Joffrey’s pouty lips or the bored, disdainful way he looked at Winterfell’s Great Hall. – AGOT, Jon I

So, not only are there potential parallels to be made between Sansa and Alys (who I’ll get back to in a mo), but also Sigorn and Jon. Just on a physical level, Sigorn is lean, like Jon, but with receding hairline that makes him appear older than he is (rip those luscious locks). Yet just as Jon is said to closely resemble Ned Stark, his presumed father, Sigorn is likewise a "younger, shorter version of his father" (ADWD, Jon III). Styr, we know, is described as "straight as a spear, all long wiry muscle, clean-shaved, bald, with a strong straight nose and deepset grey eyes […] he might even have been comely if he’d had ears," (ASOS, Jon I). So, obviously not a doppelganger in line with the likes of Waymar Royce… but Sigorn and Jon do share a few physical, character and behavioural traits:

Grey eyes — a typical Stark trait

A lean, or slender, physique

A strong resemblance to their “fathers”

An air of maturity related to their appearance and/or attitude

Thrust into a position of authority as a young man — Magnar vs. Lord Commander

Deep pride in and allegiance to their houses/clans — Stark vs. Thenn

Increased boldness/courage through wine drinking at a feast

They also share a certain romantic tenderness beneath a broody exterior:

"Sigorn," asked Melisandre, "will you share your fire with Alys, and warm her when the night is dark and full of terrors?" "I swear me." The Magnar's promise was a white cloud in the air. Snow dappled his shoulders. His ears were red. "By the red god's flames, I warm her all her days." – ADWD, Jon X

Call me an old softie, but I like to read the above two ways — his ears are red because of the cold, but also as a sign of tender bashfulness… a hint towards a romantic heart. And I think that reading is somewhat supported by how positively we’re meant to view this union between Sigorn and Alys:

[…] Lady Alys dragged the Magnar up onto the floor. From the way he moved it was plain that Sigorn had never danced before, but he had drunk enough mulled wine so that it did not seem to matter. "A northern maid and a wildling warrior, bound together by the Lord of Light," Ser Axell Florent slipped into Lady Alys’s vacant seat. — ADWD, Jon X

Hmm, "a northern maid" … and "a wildling warrior"? Interesting. Very interesting descriptions.

"Some of your own Sworn Brothers would have me believe that you are half a wildling yourself. Is it true?" – ADWD, Jon IV Mully cleared his throat. "M'lord? The wildling princess, letting her go, the men may say—" "—that I am half a wildling myself, a turncloak who means to sell the realm to our raiders, cannibals, and giants." Jon did not need to stare into a fire to know what was being said of him. The worst part was, they were not wrong, not wholly. "Words are wind, and the wind is always blowing at the Wall. Come." – ADWD, Jon VIII "I see what you are, Snow. Half a wolf and half a wildling, baseborn get of a traitor and a whore. You would deliver a highborn maid to the bed of some stinking savage. Did you sample her yourself first?" [Cregan Karstark] laughed. "If you mean to kill me, do it and be damned for a kinslayer. Stark and Karstark are one blood." – ADWD, Jon X "Ghost?" Jon was shocked. "Unless your lordship has some other white wolf, aye. I never seen him like this, m'lord. All wild-like, I mean." He was not wrong, as Jon discovered for himself when he slipped inside the doors. The big white direwolf would not lie still. He paced from one end of the armoury to the other, past the cold forge and back again. "Easy, Ghost," Jon called. "Down. Sit, Ghost. Down." Yet when he made to touch him, the wolf bristled and bared his teeth. It's that bloody boar. Even in here, Ghost can smell his stink. – ADWD, Jon XIII

In ADWD, Jon notably gets called "half a wildling" more than once, by his black brothers, Stannis Baratheon and Cregan Karstark… enough times for him to comment on it (see Jon VIII above), refuting the accusation, although only truly explicitly so within his internal thoughts:

I am not the trusting fool you take me for … nor am I half wildling, no matter what you believe. – ADWD, Jon XI

Ok, maybe he’s not a wildling per se… but there is something a bit wild about the boy, or there perhaps will be if we take the behaviour of his wolf as any indication. But anyway…

Winter's Lady

As explored above, Sansa and Alys most likely share a sincere love of dancing, but at the very least, certainly share an expectation of dancing with their husbands on their wedding day. In this way, Alys strongly evokes Sansa when we consider this connection to dancing, but also in how she is described and how she behaves too. Though, of course, a comparison to Sansa is never explicitly stated within the text, instead we find the much more expected and fondly familial comparisons to Arya, which follow a pattern first presented to us with Ygritte in ACOK. But just as with the Girl in Grey prophecy, you can never take the most obvious answer or explanation at face value!

As we know, Jon assumed TGiG must be Arya… but then it seemingly turns out to be Alys, though there are several inconsistencies there, key ones being she doesn’t arrive in grey or from the right direction. Ok, so it must be Jeyne Poole then? Jeyne Poole disguised as Arya, thus sort of aligning with Jon’s first instinct… but also not, and surely that's the twist? But hey! We’re forgetting someone! Someone who has been lurking in the subtext of every romantic female figure that Jon meets…

The girl smiled in a way that reminded Jon so much of his little sister that it almost broke his heart. "Let him be scared of me." – ADWD, Jon X

Alys Karstark reminds Jon of his "little sister," and who else could that be but Arya? Especially when we have proof of their shared fierceness in the following line (though that bravery is a trait held by all the Starklings, including Sansa, I'd argue). That’s all fine and dandy… but then we get the next bit of description and someone else starts to come to mind instead:

The snowflakes were melting on her cheeks, but her hair was wrapped in a swirl of lace that Satin had found somewhere, and snow began to collect there, giving her a frosty crown. Her cheeks were flushed and red, and her eyes sparkled. "Winter’s lady." Jon squeezed her hand. – ADWD, Jon X

It's not just Alys' love of dancing, her courteous nature ("It would only be courteous"), her desire to dance with her husband on her wedding day that creates a parallel to Sansa. The inclusion of melting snowflakes on their faces/cheeks, flushed cheeks, and her lacey wedding garb are also noteworthy:

The smallclothes were all silk, but the gown itself was ivory samite and cloth-of-silver, and lined with silvery satin. The points of the long dagged sleeves almost touched the ground when she lowered her arms […] The bodice was slashed in the front almost to her belly, the deep vee covered with a panel of ornate Myrish lace in dove-grey […] They brought her new shoes as well, slippers of soft grey doeskin that hugged her feet like lovers. "You are very beautiful, my lady," the seamstress said when she was dressed. "I am, aren’t I?" Sansa giggled, and spun, her skirts swirling around her. – ASOS, Sansa III Sansa drifted past frosted shrubs and thin dark trees, and wondered if she were still dreaming. Drifting snowflakes brushed her face as light as lover’s kisses, and melted on her cheeks. At the centre of the garden, beside the statue of the weeping woman that lay broken and half-buried on the ground, she turned her face up to the sky and closed her eyes. She could feel the snow on her lashes, taste it on her lips. It was the taste of Winterfell. The taste of innocence. The taste of dreams.[…] "What are you doing?" Petyr straightened his cloak. "Kissing a snow maid." "You're supposed to kiss her." Sansa glanced up at Lysa's balcony, but it was empty now. "Your lady wife." "I do. Lysa has no cause for complaint." He smiled. "I wish you could see yourself, my lady. You are so beautiful. You're crusted over with snow like some little bear cub, but your face is flushed and you can scarcely breathe. How long have you been out here? You must be very cold. Let me warm you, Sansa. Take off those gloves, give me your hands." – ASOS, Sansa VII

In the first passage, from ASOS, we have a description of Sansa's wedding garb, though at the time she was unaware of what this new outfit was intended for. What is striking, however, is how the combination colours — ivory, silver, silvery, dove-grey, soft grey — are not only the colours of House Stark, but also evoke a wintery landscape, especially a gentle flurry of snowflakes with "her skirts swirling around her." It’s a very romantic image, but so is the description of Alys Karstark in her wedding clothes… though it's always struck me as rather convenient, as opposed to realistic, that "a swirl of lace" just happened to be found for the occasion. Indeed, what use do men of the Night’s Watch have for such fripperies, I ask you?

Admittedly, Sansa is never called "a northern maid" or "winter’s lady" like Alys is, but such descriptions wouldn't be out of place regarding here, as we have Sansa’s ties to the north and her position/identity as a lady/maiden emphasised time and time again throughout the series. And "a snow maid" and "winter’s lady" feel fairly synonymous to me. Alys Karstark is also called a "a northern maid" by Ser Axell Florent, which could well be said of Sansa too:

"Sansa was a lady at three, always so courteous and eager to please. She loved nothing so well as tales of knightly valour. Men would say she had my look, but she will grow into a woman far more beautiful than I ever was, you can see that […]" – ACOK, Catelyn VII "I forgot, you've been hiding under a rock. The northern girl. Winterfell's daughter. We heard she killed the king with a spell, and afterward changed into a wolf with big leather wings like a bat, and flew out a tower window. But she left the dwarf behind and Cersei means to have his head." – ASOS, Arya XIII "[…] If Dontos and this northern girl helped murder our sweet king, it seems to me that they would want to put as many leagues as they could betwixt themselves and justice […]" – AFFC, Brienne I "[…] A young maid, three-and-ten and fair of face, with blue eyes and auburn hair […]" – AFFC, Brienne II I am Sansa Stark, Lord Eddard's daughter and Lady Catelyn's, the blood of Winterfell. – AFFC, Sansa I

I mean… no disrespect meant to you Alys, you seem like a nice gal, but… I mean… come on, now. If anyone is the OTMN/OTWL (One True Northern Maid/One True Winter’s Lady) of the series, it’s Sansa goddamn Stark. But to summarise, just from looking at that first usage of "anon," Jon's interactions with Alys Karstark, and Alys herself, we can get the sense that there’s something more going on here that isn't immediately apparent:

There are some mysteries in these books. There are some things that I’m gonna reveal later on that I’m planting clues for. There are some later plot twists that I’m foreshadowing. There are things that are gonna happen in Book 5 and Book 6 and Book 7 where I’ve planted a seed for it in Book 1. But I don’t necessarily want to give away my hand. So, what do I do when I plant the seed? Well, I plant the seed, but I try to do a little literary sleight of hand, and while I’m planting the seed, my other hand is up there waving and is distracting you with some flashy bit of wordplay or something that’s going on in the foreground, while the seed is being planted in the background. So hopefully the seed is there, the foreshadowing is there, but maybe you won’t notice it, because it’s surrounded by so many other things. [source]

The Significance of Snowflakes

I've kind of talked around your actual question and key quotation because I wanted to put it in context first before I really dive into it and pick it apart. But let's return to it fully now:

On and on the wildlings came. The day grew darker, just as Tormund said. Clouds covered the sky from horizon to horizon, and warmth fled. There was more shoving at the gate, as men and goats and bullocks jostled each other out of the way. It is more than impatience, Jon realised. They are afraid. Warriors, spearwives, raiders, they are afraid of those woods, of shadows moving through the trees. They want to put the Wall between them before the night descends. A snowflake danced upon the air. Then another. Dance with me, Jon Snow, he thought. You’ll dance with me anon. – ADWD, Jon XII

To recap, "anon" is used only twice in the series: in ADWD, Jon X and ADWD, Jon XII. In its first usage it is notably misused ("You danced with me anon"), as the meaning of "anon" refers to a future event, rather than the past. In the second and above usage, which refers back to that first mention, it is used correctly by Jon in his internal musings. Something about it suggests to me that this undisclosed voice is a familiar one to Jon, especially when we consider how Alys Karstark implicitly parallels Sansa and therefore acts as a sort of stand-in, or not quite right placeholder for her (a la Ygritte and Val).

Something else to ponder on is the possibility that this request, but also assurance of "dance with me, Jon Snow […] You’ll dance with me anon" is actually a recollected memory. This would marry the two past and future usages of "anon" — Alys' (mis)use, which referenced a dance shared when she and Jon "were children" and Jon's, which uses it correctly and points towards the future… though, a future dance also shared with someone from the past, a past previously thought walled up and left behind (... what are you fleeing from Jon? For those not in the know, check out my Byronic Hero meta 👀).

So, past events and a foreshadowed future are important to consider here. Likewise, childhood and memory. But what is behind the importance placed on dancing, and moreover, on snowflakes?

As I said in my introductory paragraph, the Romantic description of dancing snowflakes alongside a request to dance and possible remembrances of the past/childhood feels strongly evocative of an earlier passage from ASOS and therefore one character in particular… Sansa Stark:

Outside the flakes drifted down as soft and silent as memory. Was this what woke me? Already the snowfall lay thick upon the garden below, blanketing the grass, dusting the shrubs and statues with white and weighing down the branches of the trees. The sight took Sansa back to cold nights long ago, in the long summer of her childhood. She had last seen snow the day she’d left Winterfell. That was a lighter fall than this, she remembered. Robb had melting snowflakes in his hair when he hugged me, and the snowball Arya tried to make kept coming apart in her hands. It hurt to remember how happy she had been that morning. Hullen had helped her mount, and she’d ridden out with snowflakes swirling around her, off to see the great wide world. I thought my song was beginning that day, but it was almost done. – ASOS, Sansa VII

The descriptions of Sansa entering the Eyrie's godswood that follow the above are some of my favourite passages in the whole of ASOIAF. But it’s interesting to consider how snowflakes in particular serve to connect Jonsa to one another through memory. Robb is described by both Sansa and Jon in their memories as having "melting snowflakes in his hair," and there is something quite melancholy about that association, the impermanence of it and the knowledge that Robb is no longer:

Robb had melting snowflakes in his hair when he hugged me […] – ASOS, Sansa VII "So do you, Sam. Have a swift, safe voyage, and take care of her and Aemon and the child." The cold trickles on his face reminded Jon of the day he’d bid farewell to Robb at Winterfell, never knowing that it was for the last time. "And pull your hood up. The snowflakes are melting in your hair." – ADWD, Jon II He thought of Robb, with snowflakes melting in his hair. – ADWD, Jon XIII

But more than that, the sight of snow in the godswood "took Sansa back to cold nights long ago, in the long summer of her childhood," but especially her last day in Winterfell. Similarly, the sight of snowflakes melting in his friend's hair reminds Jon of Robb, but also of his own departure from home — "the day he’d bid farewell […] never knowing that it was for the last time." Like Sansa, Jon too was setting off "to see the great wide world," and both have had that idealism challenged by adversity. The melting of snowflakes, and their connection to Robb, serve to highlight a past and safety that has been lost, a childhood that can never be returned to — it has melted away, just like the snowflakes.

But what does it mean when snowflakes aren’t melting, in hair or on cheeks? Can they still be connected to remembrance? What about the future, signified by snowflakes in motion, yet to settle?

It’s worth noting how infrequently "snowflake(s)" are actually mentioned in the series — only 28 uses across five books so far. Similarly, "flakes," used as a shortening for snowflakes, are also referenced even more sparingly, amounting to just 10 uses.

11 -> Jon = ASOS (3), ADWD (8) 5 -> Sansa = ASOS (5) 5 -> Bran = AGOT (3), ADWD (2) 4 -> Theon = ADWD (4) 4 -> Samwell = ASOS (1), AFFC (3) 2 -> Melisandre = ADWD (2)

It's unsurprising that Jon Snow would get the most mentions, as not only is he situated in the frosty north for the entirety of his story thus far, but he is also one of the most prolific POV in the series:

42 Chpts. -> Jon =GOT (9) -> ACOK (8) -> ASOS (12) -> AFFC (N/A) -> ADWD (13)

Most of Jon's snowflake references feature in ADWD, where he has the most POV chapters of any other character — just one above Tyrion, however. By comparison, Sansa and Bran, our second placers, have far less POV chapters (sides eyes GRRM), so they are perhaps all the more noteworthy:

25 Chpts. -> Sansa = AGOT (6) -> ACOK (8) -> ASOS (7) -> AFFC (3) -> ADWD (N/A)

21 Chpts. -> Bran = AGOT (7) -> ACOK (7) -> ASOS (4) -> AFFC (N/A) -> ADWD (3)

14 Chpts. -> Theon = AGOT (N/A) -> ACOK (6) -> ASOS (N/A) -> AFFC (N/A) -> ADWD (7)

10 Chpts. -> Samwell = AGOT (N/A) -> ACOK (N/A) -> ASOS (5) -> AFFC (5) -> ADWD (N/A)

1 Ch. -> Melisandre = AGOT (N/A) -> ACOK (N/A) -> ASOS (N/A) -> AFFC (N/A) -> ADWD (1)

It's clear that the number of snowflake references mirrors the number of POVs a character has… to a certain extent. But for me, what is especially interesting about this breakdown of references is that everyone, bar Sansa, is in the north at the time of their snowflake/flake mentions. By contrast, Sansa is in the Vale and the Eyrie with her references all taking place in a single chapter — ASOS, Sansa VII, aka the godswood chapter — where there are some very heavy allusions made to her past in Winterfell, as well as her involvement in its future restoration. So, she may be physically some distance from the north, but the emotional thrust of that long passage in the Eyrie’s godswood is nevertheless utterly wrapped up in imagery of the north… and in Jon Snow, funnily enough.

Comparing Snowflake Uses Across POVs

I think it’s always worth considering parallel imagery and word choice when it comes to seeking out hidden references and/or foreshadowing in a series like ASOIAF. With the snowflakes referenced in Jon and Sansa’s chapters, they are more often than not described as either drifting, dancing or swirling. Delicate and fragile, but in perpetual motion, not quite settled. Persevering.

But let’s take a closer look:

11 -> Jon = ASOS (3), ADWD (8)

Jon watched the flakes melt as they drifted over the flames. – ASOS, Jon I

Snowflakes speckled Tormund's broad face, melting in his hair and beard. – ASOS, Jon II

"Are all crows so curious?" asked Tormund. "Well, here’s a tale for you. It were another winter, colder even than the one I spent inside that giant, and snowing day and night, snowflakes as big as your head, not these little things […]" – ASOS, Jon II

The cold trickle on [Sam's] face reminded Jon of the day he’d bid farewell to Robb at Winterfell, never knowing that it was for the last time. "And pull your hood up. The snowflakes are melting in your hair." – ADWD, Jon II

When the last of the riders had disappeared into the trees, Jon Snow rode the winch cage down with Dolorous Edd. A few scattered snowflakes were falling as they made their slow descent, dancing on the gusty wind. One followed the cage down, drifting just beyond the bars. It was falling faster than they were descending and from time to time would vanish beneath them. Then a gust of wind would catch it and push it upward once again. Jon could have reached through the bars and caught it if he had wished. – ADWD, Jon VI

Melisandre raised her hands, and the ditchfire leapt upward toward her fingers, like a great red dog sprinting for a treat. A swirl of sparks rose to meet the snowflakes coming down. – ADWD, Jon X

The snowfall was light today, a thin scattering of flakes dancing in the air, but the wind was blowing from the east along the Wall, cold as the breath of the ice dragon in the tales Old Nan used tell. – ADWD, Jon X

Melisandre’s eyes shone as bright as the ruby at her throat. "Then come to me and be as one." As she beckoned, a wall of flames roared upward, licking at the snowflakes with hot orange tongues. Alys Karstark took her Magnar by the hand. – ADWD, Jon X

A snowflake danced upon the air. Then another. Dance with me, Jon Snow, he thought. You’ll dance with me anon. – ADWD, Jon XII

He thought of Robb, with snowflakes melting in his hair. – ADWD, Jon XIII

Above are all the references to snowflakes in Jon’s chapters, but I want to zero in on several comparable uses, in which there is an interesting combination of factors at play:

A few scattered snowflakes were falling as they made their slow descent, dancing on the gusty wind. One followed the cage down, drifting just beyond the bars. – ADWD, Jon VI

The snowfall was light today, a thin scattering of flakes dancing in the air, but the wind was blowing from the east along the Wall, cold as the breath of the ice dragon in the tales Old Nan used tell. – ADWD, Jon X

The snowflakes were melting on [Alys’] cheeks, but her hair was wrapped in a swirl of lace Satin had found somewhere, and the snow had begun to collect there, giving her a frosty crown. Her cheeks were flushed and red, and her eyes sparkled. – ADWD, Jon X

A snowflake danced upon the air. Then another. Dance with me, Jon Snow, he thought. You’ll dance with me anon. – ADWD, Jon XII

Across three chapters in ADWD, we find references to snowflakes used… but described in a very particular, delicate way:

Light snowfall -> "A few scattered snowflakes," "slow descent," "the snowfall was light," "a thin scattering of flakes," "the snow had begun to collect there," "a snowflake […] then another."

Dancing/drifting/swirling -> "Dancing on the gusty wind," "drifting just beyond the bars," "dancing in the air," "a swirl of lace […] the snow had begun to collect there," "a snowflake danced upon the air."

Blowing on the wind -> "Dancing on the gusty wind," "dancing in the air," "the wind was blowing," "a snowflake danced upon the air."

Let’s keep the above in mind as we move onto Sansa's uses!

5 -> Sansa = ASOS (5)

She had last seen snow the day she'd left Winterfell. That was a lighter fall than this, she remembered. Robb had melting flakes in his hair when he hugged me […] Hullen had helped her mount, and she’d ridden out with the snowflakes swirling around her […] – ASOS, Sansa VII

Outside the flakes drifted downas soft and silent as memory.– ASOS, Sansa VII

Drifting snowflakes brushed her face as light as lover’s kisses, and melted on her cheeks […] She could feel the snow on her lashes, taste it on her lips. – ASOS, Sansa VII

The wind flapped her skirts and bit at her bare legs with cold teeth. She could feel snowflakes melting on her cheeks. – ASOS, Sansa VII

Bar two, you could argue that all of Sansa’s snowflake references subtly mirror the four Jon usages I singled out above… or rather, his mirror hers…

She had last seen snow the day she’d left Winterfell. That was a lighter fall than this, she remembered. Robb had melting flakes in his hair when he hugged me […] Hullen had helped her mount, and she’d ridden out with the snowflakes swirling around her […] – ASOS, Sansa VII

Outside the flakes drifted down as soft and silent as memory.– ASOS, Sansa VII

Drifting snowflakes brushed her face as light as lover’s kisses, and melted on her cheeks. – ASOS, Sansa VII

Light snowfall -> "That was a lighter fall than this," "soft and silent," "as light as lover’s kisses."

Drifting/swirling -> "The snowflakes swirling around her," "the flakes drifted down," "drifting snowflakes."

What is absent, however, is any emphasis placed on the wind and how it carries these snowflakes. By comparison, in Jon passages where the above two factors are included it could be that the inclusion of snowflakes "dancing on the gusty wind," "dancing in the air," "the wind was blowing," etc., is meant to emphasise their motion even more so. And perhaps not just their motion, but also possibly their direction — towards Jon and therefore towards the north… just like the girl in grey:

[…] dancing on the gusty wind. One [snowflake] followed the cage down, drifting just beyond the bars. It was falling faster than they were descending and from time to time would vanish beneath them. Then a gust of wind would catch it and push it upward once again. Jon could have reached through the bars and caught it if he had wished. – ADWD, Jon VI […] flakes dancing in the air, but the wind was blowing from the east along the Wall […] – ADWD, Jon X So lovely. The snow-clad summit of the Giant’s Lance loomed above her, an immensity of stone and ice that dwarfed the castle perched upon its shoulder. Icicles twenty feet long draped the lip of the precipice where Alyssa’s Tears fell in summer. A falcon soared above the frozen waterfall, blue wings spread wide against the morning sky. Would that I had wings as well.– AFFC, Alayne I

I’ll come back to the significance of that easterly wind in particular in due course.

5 -> Bran = AGOT (3), ADWD (2)

A light snow was falling. Bran could feel the flakes on his face, melting as they touched his skin like the gentlest of rains. – AGOT, Bran V

Robb lifted his face to the snow, and the flakes melted on his cheeks. – AGOT, Bran V

The joy Bran had felt at the ride was gone, melted away like the snowflakes on his face. – AGOT, Bran V

The wolf let his tongue loll out between his teeth, tasting the frigid air, his breath misting as snowflakes melted on his tongue. – ADWD, Bran I

Snowflakes drifted down soundlessly to cloak the soldier pines and sentinels in white. – ADWD, Bran III

With Bran, references to snowflakes are typically soft "like the gentles of rains," but also often melting — against his face, on his tongue, on Robb’s cheeks. References to snowflakes makes sense in Bran's chapters as he spends the entirety of them in the north where snow is frequent. However, only once are they referred to as drifting (or any similar verb), so his inclusions aren't a perfect match to Jonsa's… nor are they perhaps meant to be.

Light snowfall -> "A light snow was falling […] like the gentlest of rains," "drifted down soundlessly."

Drifting -> "Drifted down."

Melting -> "Melting as they touched his skin," "the flakes melted on his cheeks," "melted away like the snowflakes on his face," "snowflakes melted on his tongue."

4 -> Samwell = ASOS (1), AFFC (3)

He stared upward at the pale white sky as snowflakes drifted down upon his stomach and his chest and his eyelids. – ASOS, Samwell I

A snowflake landed on Sam’s nose. – AFFC, Samwell I

"So do you, Sam. Have a swift, safe voyage, and take care of her and Aemon and the child." Jon smiled a strange, sad smile. "And pull your hood up. The snowflakes are melting in your hair." – AFFC, Samwell I

A light snow had begun to fall, the big soft flakes drifting down lazily from the sky. – AFFC, Samwell I

Like Bran, snowflakes are not out of place in Sam's chapters given the northernly environment in which they are set. In fact, his uses could be said to share the same intent as Bran's — setting the scene, evoking Robb Stark, etc. — though interestingly they are at times described as drifting.

Light snowfall -> "A light snow," "soft flakes."

Drifting -> "Snowflakes drifted," "soft flakes drifting."

Melting -> "The snowflakes are melting in your hair."

4 -> Theon = ADWD (4)

The first flakes came drifting down as the sun was setting in the west. By nightfall snow was coming down so heavily that the moon rose behind a white curtain, unseen. – ADWD, The Turncloak

Lord Ramsay commanded Abel to give them a marching song in honour of Stannis trudging through the snows, so the bard took up his lute again, whilst one of his washerwomen coaxed a sword from Sour Alyn and mimed Stannis slashing at the snowflakes. – ADWD, The Turncloak

Outside the snow was coming down so heavily that Theon could not see more than three feet ahead of him. He found himself alone in a white wilderness, walls of snow looming up to either side of him chest high. When he raised his head, the snowflakes brushed his cheeks like cold soft kisses. – ADWD, A Ghost in Winterfell

The hot water filled the air with clouds of steam, melting the snowflakes as they came drifting down. – ADWD, Theon I

Theon's snowflakes are notably mentioned whilst he is at Winterfell, and also whilst he is in the godswood. He's been described as Jon's foil by GRRM, so it is interesting to me that where for Jon snowflakes arrive with a light snowfall, for Theon these similarly drifting snowflakes are instead falling "so heavily." There is some softer imagery with the description of the snowflakes brushing his cheeks "like cold soft kisses," but there is little romance to that, or the context of that scene.

Light snowfall -> "Cold soft kisses."

Drifting -> "The first flakes came drifting down," "drifting down."

Heavy snowfall -> "By nightfall snow was coming down so heavily," "outside the snow was coming down so heavily."

Melting -> "Melting snowflakes."

2 -> Melisandre = ADWD (2)

Snowflakes swirled from a dark sky and ashes rose to meet them, the grey and white whirling around each other as flaming arrows arced above a wooden wall and dead things shambled silent through the cold, beneath a great grey cliff where fires burned inside a hundred caves. Then the wind rose and the white mist came sweeping in, impossibly cold, and one by one the fires went out. – ADWD, Melisandre I

A few snowflakes drifted by the open window, floating on the wind. – ADWD, Melisandre I

Now, Melisandre is an interesting one. Only one POV chapter in the series so far and yet she gets a couple of snowflake mentions that line up with the imagery used in Jon's and Sansa's chapters.

Light snowfall -> "A few snowflakes."

Drifting/swirling/whirling/floating ->"Snowflakes swirled."

Blowing on the wind -> "The wind rose," "floating on the wind."

I think the second reference, in particular, stands out since it ticks all three requirements, with the softness of the snowfall (indicated by their sparseness) being key, I think. Why is that interesting? Well, what has Melisandre been wondering about throughout her chapter? The girl in grey.

The girl. I must find the girl again, the grey girl on the dying horse. Jon Snow would expect that of her, and soon. It would not be enough to say the girl was fleeing. He would want more, he would want the when and the where, and she did not have that for him. She had seen the girl only once. A girl as grey as ash, and even as I watched she crumbled and blew away. – ADWD, Melisandre I

A Snowflake Danced Upon the Air from the East

The identity of TGiG has been long speculated about and I’m someone, like many Jonsas, who believes that she will be none other than Sansa Stark. By working on this meta though, I feel like I’m even more convinced that that’ll be true. Considering the above, I get the sense that when certain factors occur alongside one another — light snowfall that drifts/dances/swirls — what we’re getting is an implicit reference to either Jon in a Sansa chapter, or Sansa in a Jon chapter. The slight difference between them, however, is that for Jon we have the added factor of the wind carrying these snowflakes… as though towards him:

When the last of the riders had disappeared into the trees, Jon Snow rode the winch cage down with Dolorous Edd. A few scattered snowflakes were falling as they made their slow descent, dancing on the gusty wind. One followed the cage down, drifting just beyond the bars. It was falling faster than they were descending and from time to time would vanish beneath them. Then a gust of wind would catch it and push it upward once again. Jon could have reached through the bars and caught it if he had wished. – ADWD, Jon VI

A "gusty wind" carries these "dancing" snowflakes, "drifting just beyond the bars" of the winch cage Jon is travelling in. A snowflake just out of reach, but then drifting closer, so close that "Jon could have reached [out] and caught it if he had wished." A snowflake. A snow maid. Interesting.

A snowflake danced upon the air. Then another. Dance with me, Jon Snow, he thought. You’ll dance with me anon. – ADWD, Jon XII

Again, in the quotation from your ask, we have mention of "a snowflake," and that singularity possibly being significant. Though, as we saw previously, there being a singular snowflake isn't a prerequisite for a potential Sansa reference in Jon’s chapters, at least imo. But it's intriguing, nonetheless. Returning to the wedding between Alys and Sigorn, what's also intriguing is this:

"All praise R'hllor, the Lord of Light," the wedding guests answered in ragged chorus before a gust of ice-cold wind blew their words away. Jon Snow raised the hood of his cloak. The snowfall was light today, a thin scattering of flakes dancing in the air, but the wind was blowing from the east along the Wall, cold as the breath of the ice dragon in the tales Old Nan used to tell. Even Melisandre's fire was shivering; the flames huddled down in the ditch, crackling softly as the red priestess sang. Only Ghost seemed not to feel the chill. Alys Karstark leaned close to Jon. "Snow during a wedding means a cold marriage. My lady mother always said so." He glanced at Queen Selyse. There must have been a blizzard the day she and Stannis wed. Huddled beneath her ermine mantle and surrounded by her ladies, serving girls, and knights, the southron queen seemed a frail, pale, shrunken thing. A strained smile was frozen into place on her thin lips, but her eyes brimmed with reverence. She hates the cold but loves the flames.He had only to look at her to see that. A word from Melisandre, and she would walk into the fire willingly, embrace it like a lover. – ADWD, Jon X

Snow is positioned here as an ill omen, signifying a "cold marriage" if it falls on your wedding day , and yet we've seen from the interactions between the wedded couple that so far that hasn’t come to pass, in fact, they look set for a pretty warm and happy marriage. So maybe this talk of prophetic superstitions is just a distraction… but a distraction from what?

The snowfall was light today, a thin scattering of flakes dancing in the air, but the wind was blowing from the east along the Wall, cold as the breath of the ice dragon in the tales Old Nan used to tell. Even Melisandre's fire was shivering; the flames huddled down in the ditch, crackling softly as the red priestess sang. Only Ghost seemed not to feel the chill. – ADWD, Jon X

Light snowfall, dancing snowflakes on the cold wind… and yet "Ghost seemed not to feel the chill." Indeed, if the behaviour of Ghost is any indication… Jon Snow may be Queen Selyse's opposite in the sense that he hates the flames but loves the cold. Loves a snow maid. Loves winter’s true lady. Will love the girl in grey on a dying horse, running from the hunters… travelling from the east, blowing towards him on an easterly wind:

The girl. I must find the girl again, the grey girl on the dying horse. Jon Snow would expect that of her, and soon. It would not be enough to say the girl was fleeing. He would want more, he would want the when and the where, and she did not have that for him. She had seen the girl only once. A girl as grey as ash, and even as I watched she crumbled and blew away. – ADWD, Melisandre I "Hills. Fields. Trees. A deer, once. Stones. She is staying well away from villages. When she can she rides along the bed of little streams, to throw hunters off her trail." [Mance] frowned. "That will make it difficult. She was coming north, you said. Was the lake to her east or to her west?" Melisandre closed her eyes, remembering. "West." – ADWD, Melisandre I The snowfall was light today, a thin scattering of flakes dancing in the air, but the wind was blowing from the east along the Wall […] – ADWD, Jon X

Because if Long Lake is to the west of her, then the girl in grey will be coming to the Wall from the east… "Blowing from the east along the Wall," just as Melisandre saw in her flames; a girl who "crumbled and blew away," who is fleeing, riding north on a dying horse, in motion, on her way to Jon Snow's side. As I've said, it’s not a brand-new theory to believe that Sansa is going to be the real girl in grey, but I think that these dancing snowflakes (an allusion to Sansa) blowing in from the east further supports that conclusion. Building on that, I wouldn't be surprised if, much like in the show actually, Sansa's arrival coincides with a swirl of drifting snowflakes, dancing on the north-easterly wind.

And it's not just in Jon's chapters that the direction of east, or a wind blowing in from the east, occurs:

Alayne's apartments in the Maiden's Tower were larger and more lavish than the little bedchamber where she'd been kept when Lady Lysa was alive. She had a dressing room and a privy of her own now, and a balcony of carved white stone that looked off across the Vale. While Gretchel was tending to the fire, Alayne padded barefoot across the room and slipped outside. The stone was cold beneath her feet, and the wind was blowing fiercely, as it always did up here, but the view made her forget all that for half a heartbeat. Maiden's was the easternmost of the Eyrie’s seven slender towers, so she had the Vale before her, its forests and rivers and fields all hazy in the morning light. […] […] A falcon soared above the frozen waterfall, blue wings spread wide against the morning sky. Would that I had wings as well. – AFFC, Alayne I

Like a lady in a song, like "some willowy creature who sits up in a tower" (ADWD, Jon IX), Alayne Stone resides in the Maiden's Tower, "the easternmost of the Eyrie's seven slender towers." From her tower, she looks out to the east, wishing that she had wings to carry herself away…

They are all convinced she is a princess. Val looked the part and rode as if she had been born on horseback. A warrior princess, he decided, not some willowy creature who sits up in a tower, brushing her hair and waiting for some knight to rescue her. – ADWD, Jon IX

East. East. She is coming from the east. A drifting, dancing snowflake on the light gusty wind. Beyond the bars of Jon's cage — both physical and abstract — almost within his grasp. Almost. And not some willowy creature, not even a snow maid, but a real living girl, saving herself, rescuing herself, but in need of some help too.

A snowflake danced upon the air. Then another. Dance with me, Jon Snow, he thought. You’ll dance with me anon. – ADWD, Jon XII

And as the snowflakes drift, on a gusty eastern wind, their touch as light as lover's kisses, they will dance with one another anon...

Hope this answer and my thoughts were worth the wait! xx

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