© The Author(s) 2020. We have developed a new method of diagnosing the characteristics of ice particles using a bulk microphysics model. Our model tracked the mass compositions of different classes of ice particles, using their microphysical process of origin, such as water vapor deposition and riming. The mass composition from depositional growth was further divided into six components by the temperature and humidity ranges corresponding to the typical growth habits of ice crystals. In test simulations, the new framework successfully revealed the influences of riming and depositional growths of ice particles within clouds and on surface snowfall. The new approach enables weather prediction models to provide much more information on the characteristics of ice particles regarding crystal habits and the extent of riming.