Hi, Donna -

Thank you for reaching out to the UNH Extension Infoline!

It is difficult to get a sense of the individual critters from the photos. However, they appear to be tiny and blackish-purple in color. Based on that, I believe these are springtails, also known as snow fleas. They are not technically insects; rather, they are part of a group that is closely related to insects but more like crabs and lobsters: https://agriculture.vermont.gov/introduction-snow-fleas. They feed mainly on decaying organic matter: https://extension.unh.edu/sites/default/files/migrated_unmanaged_files/Resource000539_Rep561.pdf.

Springtails appear most often during warm periods when a thaw is in progress, congregating in large masses or piles near snow or at the edge of snow pools or slow-moving streams. They can number in the millions. When disturbed they often jump a short distance with the aid of a forked appendage attached to the end and underside of the abdomen that can be sprung in a downward movement to catapult the insect into the air.

I hope this information is helpful! Please feel free to reach out with any further questions.