With many of those living in the Northern hemisphere having experienced snowfall over the last couple of weeks, the internet has been overrun by snowy videos and people showing us what they do when it snows. Celebrity actress Reese Witherspoon, for example, enthusiastically showed her followers her recipe for what she calls a chococcino, including cold brew coffee, chocolate sauce, caramel and… fresh snow. A recipe and a practice which clearly wasn’t appreciated by everyone. Many on the internet pointed out eating snow isn’t safe but what is science’s answer?
The TikTok video posted by Witherspoon is a fairly innocent one, where the actress is seen scooping up snow from her backyard, which she then turned into a “delicious” drink. The comment section, however, quickly derailed into a series of warnings. “No no no… snow is not made to eat. U can get seriously sick” and “As someone who grew up in Minnesota, our teachers would always melt snow to show up how dirty it was and not to eat it! Be careful out there” are just some of the comments left below the video. Some other followers, however, pointed out they also eat snow or that “you only live once” and thus should not worry about safety when enjoying the little things that make you happy.
So, is it safe to eat snow or should you not? Well, the answer isn’t as straightforward as one might think and depends on multiple aspects. Firstly, the region where you live might play an important role in deciding whether or not to enjoy a “delicious” cup of snow. The more polluted the air, the more polluted the snow will probably be as the snow usually absorbs the pollution particles.
“If there are pollutants, dirt, or pesticides you cannot see mixed in with the snow, it would be dangerous to consume”, Dr Laura Purdy explained. “If you live in the city where there are more pollutants than you would find in a rural area, I would recommend against it. I would also recommend not eating any snow that has been plowed, shovelled or stepped in due to the chance of contamination.”
Secondly, eating a couple of snowflakes or even a spoonful of snow probably won’t do you any harm. And even if you eat more and the snow happens to be polluted, for most of us, this will probably result in an upset stomach or diarrhoea as our body’s immune system will combat most pollutants. Chances are, even that won’t happen when you choose a clean looking part of snow, as the air we breathe contains a certain amount of the same pollutants anyways.
Moreover, Dr Purdy explained that the first snowfall filters the air as it falls down, so she advises against munching on the first few centimetres of snow, but rather wait until a decent layer forms. “The safest snow to consume will be the whitest, fluffiest top layer of fallen snow, furthest away from the ground”, she wrote in a blog post. On the other hand, waiting too long will also increase the chances of the snow getting contaminated, so the freasher, the safer, as long as the layer is thick enough.
Overall, unless you’re in a very secluded area, eating larger quantities of snow isn’t recommended. If, for some reason, you are obliged to do so, it is preferable to boil and filter it beforehand.
