Abstract: Based on NCEP/NCAR 2.5°×2.5° reanalysis data and conventional meteorological observation data, the similarities and differences between snowstorms and general snowfall weather in Yueyang City in the past 30 years from 1989 to 2018 were studied. Results show that: 1) frequency differences: Yueyang City had 0.4 snowstorm days and 3.8 general snowfall days each year; 2) circulation field differences: during the snowstorms, the blocking situation of 500 hPa in middle and high latitude was obvious, Yueyang was in front of a deep high trough, 700 hPa was the strong southwest low-altitude jet stream, 850 hPa was the cold shear line, and the surface 1030 hPa line had been southward over Yueyang. During the general snowfall weather condition, the upper air circulation was flat, and the southwest wind of 700hPa and the northerly wind of 850 hPa were weak. In particular, the ground 1030 hPa characterization line was still on the north side of Yueyang; 3) temperature differences of layer: during the snowstorms the temperature of each layer was lower than 0 ℃, and the temperature of 700 hPa, 850 hPa and the key layer near the ground was about 6 ℃, 5 ℃ and 2 ℃ respectively. During the normal snowfall period, the temperatures of 700 hPa, 850 hPa and the key layer near the ground were about 2 ℃, 1 ℃ and 1 ℃ respectively. It is worth noting that, during the normal snowfall period, although the middle layer and above also show obvious cold layer, the overall temperature of the key layer was over 3 ℃higher than the snowstorms; 4) the invasion of cold air near the ground during snowstorm was conducive to the forced uplift of the middle layer warm and wet air flow, and the continued cooling and snowfall on the ground. Physical quantities such as divergence, vertical velocity and water vapor conditions had the characteristics of continuous heavy precipitation.