Snowflake utilizes a unique architecture known as Zero-Copy Cloning, which allows users to create a replica of a table, schema, or entire database without physically duplicating the underlying data files (micro-partitions). When you execute the CLONE command, Snowflake simply creates new metadata that points to the existing micro-partitions of the source object.

Because the data is not physically copied, the clone operation is nearly instantaneous and, crucially, incurs no additional storage costs at the moment of creation. Storage costs only begin to accumulate for the clone when the data in the source or the clone diverges—for example, if rows are updated or deleted in the clone, Snowflake creates new micro-partitions to store the changed data while preserving the original state in the source.

Evaluating the Options:

Option A (LIKE) only copies the column definitions and structure of the table. It does not copy the data itself, so while it doesn't incur storage, it also doesn't provide the "data" requested by the prompt.

Option B (CTAS - Create Table As Select) performs a full deep copy of the data. This creates entirely new micro-partitions, which immediately increases the storage footprint and associated costs.

Option D is a filtered CTAS operation. While it may result in less data than the full table, it still involves creating new physical storage for the 2019 records, thus incurring additional costs.

Option C is the 100% correct answer. It uses the CLONE keyword, which is the specific Snowflake feature designed to provide a full dataset for dev/test environments with zero initial storage impact. This is a core competency in the Data Transformation and Data Modeling domain.