What does the expression “like snow on one’s head” mean?
If you have guests visiting you without prior warning (and you are not very happy about it) or you have received unexpected unpleasant news, then you can say that it all fell on you как снег на голову (“kak sneg na golovu” or “like snow on one’s head”).
The joy of surprise is dubious. But, imagine what it was like for peasants in the old days? There were no weather forecasts back then and omens were hardly accurate. So, it happened that the first snow would suddenly fall while working in the field. It was doubly unpleasant: you did not have time to prepare for winter and you also got wet and cold.
Later, this expression acquired a figurative meaning, but with the same negative meaning. To fall on you like snow on one’s head means to appear suddenly, to present an unpleasant surprise.
An English equivalent would be: “Out of the blue.”
