Explanation
Snowflake automatically maintains previous versions of data when tables are modified or deleted. For tables experiencing frequent changes, this creates accumulated historical snapshot data despite minimal active data growth, inflating storage costs — particularly with extended Time Travel retention and high modification rates. Teams often lack visibility into this hidden accumulation.
Relevant Billing Model
Storage charges encompass active data, Time Travel snapshots, and Fail-safe copies. High-churn tables can inflate storage costs because each change creates additional snapshot data.
Detection
- Compare storage consumption against current active data size
- Use transient or temporary tables to identify high-churn patterns
- Review Time Travel retention at table and account levels
- Calculate historical versus active storage ratios
- Consult with teams regarding modification necessity
Remediation
- Reduce retention periods for high-churn tables where extended recovery is not critical
- Periodically clone and recreate heavily modified tables to reset historical storage
- Implement ongoing table storage monitoring