Is it Safe to Eat Snow? Here’s What Experts Have to Say

If you’ve been on TikTok in the past week, you’ve probably seen stainless steel Stanley tumblers in what seems like 400 different colors, and you’re now questioning whether your Adidas Sambas are still cool. Then there’s the ongoing debate about “snow cream” and other snow-centric desserts and whether they’re ultra-quirky winter treats or the unsanitary equivalent of eating from Mother Nature’s dumpster. 

Even Reese Witherspoon hasn’t been safe from Snow Discourse: the celeb shared a TikTok of her own “Chococinno” made from cold brew coffee, chocolate, and salted caramel flavored syrups, and some generous scoops of fresh snow she scraped off her covered barbecue grill. Despite the positive comments (or puns on her name, like the one noting that she ate it “Witherspoon”), there were some dissenters who called snow-eating unhealthy, potentially dangerous, or just all-around disgusting. 

Witherspoon posted a couple of follow-up videos and mostly shrugged off all of the "unhealthy" talk. "You only live once,' and it snows maybe once a year here," she said. "Also, I want to say something: it was delicious." 

So what's the deal? Is it safe to eat snow? According to some experts, there are a few caveats for ensuring that you're eating the best possible snow — starting with making sure that the snow is completely white in color. Any dingy gray snow should be off-limits, as is snow that looks brown or muddy. You should also avoid yellow snow, for the exact reasons you're thinking about. (In the immortal words of the philosopher Frank Zappa, "Watch out where the huskies go/ And don't you eat that yellow snow.”)

Dr. Laura T. Martin, an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, advises against eating snow that has been collected directly off the ground due to the potential for contaminants and toxins and also says you shouldn't eat any snow that has already been plowed, even if it looks clean. 

"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 Nationwide Children's Hospital website. "For a bigger serving of snow, safely harvested, place a clean bowl on your picnic table, deck, or similar outside structure. Choose areas that are less likely to be disturbed by backyard critters or exposed to bird droppings. With a decent snowfall, you'll be able to collect snow that is free of dirt and debris, and likely cleaner than snow on the ground." 

The National Snow and Ice Data Center, part of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder, reiterates the importance of eating snow that has fallen later in a snowstorm – not the first layer covering the ground. "As snow falls through the sky, it can lock in pollutants into its intricate latticework," the organization explains. "The most common is black carbon from coal-fired plants and wood-burning stoves. In a sense, that is why it is better to wait until a few hours into the snowfall to eat your first batch. Snow acts like a scrubbing brush as it falls through the atmosphere. So, the longer the snow falls, the cleaner the air, and also the snow." 

Others have advised against eating any snow collected from a parking lot, street, or sidewalk, as it might contain rock salt or other chemicals that were spread on the surface to prevent ice accumulation. And finally, when you're gathering your snow cream ingredients, don't scoop any that is visibly marked with animal tracks, or that is near bird feeders. 

Despite what some TikTokers might say in the comments, those are some best practices for staying safe if you do make snow cream or a Reese-approved Chococinno. Also, your Sambas still look great, go ahead and wear those things until the soles peel off.