névé

1. The upper part of a glacier where the snow turns into ice.
2. 1. A snow field at the head of a glacier.
   2. The granular snow typically found in such a field.

[French, from French dialectal névi, from Vulgar Latin *nivātum, from neuter of Latin nivātus, cooled by snow, from nix, niv-, snow.]

An alternative term for firn.