With Snow in the Forecast for Kentucky and Indiana, Is It Safe to Eat It?

When I was a kid, I used to love snow. Obviously, back in the day we craved a good ole snow day because that meant no school (fingers crossed), trying to build a snowman, going sledding and, if it snowed enough to completely cover the grass and dirt, eating snow cream. You've had snow cream, right? It's basically homemade ice cream that's made from fallen snow. My mom had a recipe for it and we made it anytime we got a substantial snowfall.

Here's that recipe!

OLD FASHIONED SNOW CREAM

1/2 cup of milk

1/4 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups of snow

Of course, I also remember conversations we used to have about whether it was actually safe to eat snow. I don't know where this came from, but I remember some adult telling us that we shouldn't eat snow because it has lead in it and it will poison our brains. I realize that sounds ridiculous, but back then we believed it. I suppose that is a good question, right? Kids like to do it, but is it truly safe to eat snow?

First, it's probably important to understand what snow is and where it comes from. Snow's basically just frozen water.

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However, snow's made from water that has evaporated and risen from the Earth's surface.

Back in 2021, Prevention tackled this topic in their article called "Eating Too Much Snow Could Have Unpleasant Side Effects, According to Doctors." If you're a snow cream fan like I am, here's the good news. The Centers for Disease Control has never issued any guidance about the safety (or lack thereof) of eating snow. That said, there's a reason for the old adage "Don't eat yellow snow!" Because it ultimately rests and accumulates on the ground, snow can get 'polluted' quickly.

In 2022, NPR asked the same question- Is it safe to eat snow? They asked climate change researcher and professor John Pomeroy to give his expert advice. He gave the green light too. However, he threw in an extra 'flurry' of advice. He suggests waiting until a considerable amount of snow has fallen before you rush out to sample some or make a bowl of snow cream. He says, "The longer the snow falls, the lower the pollution levels in the air, and thus in the snow."

So, with a potentially large snow in the forecast, you have some options. One of the more popular ones? In the meadow, you can build a snowman. Or, you can do what we used to. You can round up a bowl full of snow and make some some cream. While experts agree that you should only eat it, like everything else, in moderation, it appears that eating snow is a GO!