Learn Hardcore Dutch: De sneeuw verandert in water.

veranderen means “to change.” verandert is the third-person singular present tense (“changes” or “is changing”), so De sneeuw verandert literally means “The snow changes…”

Why is it verandert instead of veranderd?

verandert is the present-tense conjugation (hij/zij/het verandert).
veranderd is the past participle, used in perfect tenses (e.g. “is veranderd” = “has changed”).

Why isn’t there an article before water (i.e. not het water)?

water is an uncountable or mass noun when you talk about water in general, so Dutch often omits the article. If you’re referring to a specific body of water, you could say het water.

Why is the preposition in used here and not naar?

in indicates transformation “into” a new state or substance.
naar indicates movement toward a destination.
Since the sentence describes snow turning into water (a state change), in is correct.

How do I know that sneeuw takes de and not het?

Dutch nouns are either de-words or het-words. Unfortunately, there’s no absolute rule, so you memorize them or use a dictionary. sneeuw is a de-word, hence de sneeuw.

Could I also say De sneeuw smelt? What’s the difference?

smelten means “to melt,” so De sneeuw smelt = “The snow melts.”
veranderen in (“to change into”) emphasizes the process of transformation, not just melting. You choose based on nuance.