Done for the 1.22 Jam :
"Create Ideas For Minecraft 1.22 Variants And Even New Mobs, Sounds, Textures And Other!"

As envisioned [aka if I ever develop the skills to mod the game] the Ice Cube spawns in 'Ice Cube Chunks' that replace a fraction [10%] of slime chunks in any 'cold' biome [one where exposed water freezes at Y=62].

Within these chunks Ice Cubes spawn following the same rules as Slime in slime chunks and have the same behavior [AI].

On death, non-small Ice Cubes drop a Powdered Snowball following the same rules as Magma Cream from Magma Cubes.
Powdered Snowballs act as regular snowballs if thrown, but can be crafted into Powdered Snow Buckets [4 Powdered Snowballs around an Empty Bucket].


This would allow a more lag friendly way of producing Powdered Snow at the cost of being more constrained as to the location of the farm.
The dependence on the weather is removed as well, which may be an important factor in SMP situations where there is a strong tendancy to sleep through inclement weather.