What color IS snow, anyway?

What color IS snow? What could be simpler? Snow is white, among the whitest substance there is. But what about shadows on snow on sunny days? They always look much bluer than the sun-lit snow. Which is a good thing if you like the look, but trouble if you don't. Here are 6 interpretations of the same shadow on snow image that so many of us have pondered.

Snow with shadow, right out of the camera

Snow shadow via Autotone, but with blue saturation reduced

Snow shadow if you choose to make the shadow neutral

Snow shadow with color temp moved to yellow to warm entire image

Show shadow where neutral is part sun, part shadow

Snowshadow with colors amplified for extra effect

Left

Right

Snow with sun and shadow, right out of camera, no adjustments.

Using Lightroom autotone to darken darks, lighten lights, increase contrast make blue shadows more noticeable.

Similar to image 3, but with blue saturation reduced.

What happens if you make the shadow area a neutral tone? Gets very warm.

If you adjust the color balance manually towards yellow, as sunlight on snow might be perceived as warm in color.

If you choose an area for white balance that is partly in sun, partly in shadow, split the difference between forcing either sun lit or shadow area to be neutral.

If you just give up on color balanceand force the image into black and white.

If you LIKE the blue shadows and emphasize them with MORE saturation.