D&D 3.5e - why the Locate City bomb trick does not work

So, in another thread an argument about an old 3.5e Locate City "bomb trick" came up, and I wanted to debunk it without derailing.

Spoiler: Snowcasting text

(Frostburn, p.50)

If you add a handful of snow or ice as an additional material component to a spell when you cast it, the spell gains the cold descriptor. This does not actually change the nature of the spell you cast; a fireball cast with this feat still deals fire damage, but since it also carries the cold descriptor, it can be augmented by a number of feats listed in this chapter, such as Cold Focus and Frozen Magic. If you add a handful of snow or ice as an additional material component to a spell when you cast it and that spell already has the cold descriptor, you increase the effective level of the spell being cast by +1. Adding this additional material component requires you to spend a move action immediately before the spell is cast to gather fresh snow or ice from the surrounding environment. This snow or ice can be magically created by a conjuration spell, but no other ice manifested by a spell will do. You may take no other action between gathering the snow or ice and casting the spell.

Spoiler: Flash Frost Spell text

(PHB2, p.91)

This metamagic feat can be applied only to spells that have the cold descriptor and that affect an area. A flash frost spell deals an extra 2 points of cold damage per level of the spell to all targets in the area. When you cast such a spell, the area of the spell is covered with a slippery layer of ice for 1 round. Anyone attempting to move through this icy area must make a DC 10 Balance check or fall prone. A creature that runs or charges through the area must make a DC 20 Balance check to avoid falling. A flash frost spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level.

Spoiler: Locate City text

(Races of Destiny, p.166)

LOCATE CITY
Divination
Level: Bard 1, ranger 1, sorcerer/wizard 1
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: 10 miles/level
Area: 10 miles/level radius circle, centered on you
Duration: Instantaneous

You sense the distance and direction to the nearest community of a minimum size designated by you at the time of casting. For instance, you could choose to find the nearest community at least as large as a village, or you could choose to locate only the nearest metropolis.

This spell measures the distance to the “nearest” community as the minimum distance one would have to travel to reach the city without moving through solid objects. Thus, a caster on the surface isn’t likely to locate a subterranean city half a mile beneath his feet, even if the next closest community is 5 miles away overland.

Flash Frost Spell "can be applied only to spells that have the cold descriptor and that affect an area". How does locate city affect any area? This is a legit incompatibility but let's put it aside.

Flash Frost Spell deals "an extra 2 cold damage" -- you can't deal extra damage if you don't deal damage in the first place. This is another legit incompatibility but let's put it aside, too.

Flash Frost Spell adds this extra damage "to all targets in the area" -- what exactly are the targets of a locate city spell? "Target" has a specific meaning in D&D:

Spoiler

Target or Targets

Some spells have a target or targets. You cast these spells on creatures or objects, as defined by the spell itself. You must be able to see or touch the target, and you must specifically choose that target. You do not have to select your target until you finish casting the spell.

If the target of a spell is yourself (the spell description has a line that reads Target: You), you do not receive a saving throw, and spell resistance does not apply. The Saving Throw and Spell Resistance lines are omitted from such spells.

Some spells restrict you to willing targets only. Declaring yourself as a willing target is something that can be done at any time (even if you’re flat-footed or it isn’t your turn). Unconscious creatures are automatically considered willing, but a character who is conscious but immobile or helpless (such as one who is bound, cowering, grappling, paralyzed, pinned, or stunned) is not automatically willing.

Some spells allow you to redirect the effect to new targets or areas after you cast the spell. Redirecting a spell is a move action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

https://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#targetorTargets

Not all spells have targets, which is explicitly stated in the rules.

In this case, there are no targets, since it has an Area line instead:

Spoiler: Area Spell

Area

Some spells affect an area. Sometimes a spell description specifies a specially defined area, but usually an area falls into one of the categories defined below.

Regardless of the shape of the area, you select the point where the spell originates, but otherwise you don’t control which creatures or objects the spell affects.

https://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicOverview/spellDescriptions.htm#area

Area spells don't choose targets (unless specific text states otherwise, like storm of vengeance does).


Anyone who cares about rules-legality should be firmly convinced by this last point, though the other two are also valid.

There might be more incompatibilities, this is just what I remember reading.

 

You ever hear the phrase ‘proves too much’?

Apparently the most iconic cold spell isn’t a valid choice for Flash Frost either.

 

No, it's perfectly valid.

That spell affects an area, so the area is coated with ice.

There's no extra damage, but the feat works correctly. (Insofar as the feat can be said to work at all.)