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Is It Safe to Eat Snow?

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Here at Wilderness Times, we hope you’re getting out into some awesome snow-covered landscapes this winter (even if it’s just your own backyard).

We’ve heard the question of “is it safe to eat snow” more than once, so we’re here to give some answers!

Whether you have a toddler who likes to fall face first into snow banks, or an adventure group that wants to try out backcountry slushies, knowing when you can eat the snow around you and more importantly, when to avoid it, is great knowledge to carry with you.

Let’s talk about it!

Short Answer: It Depends

On a scientific level, snow is water that was frozen into snowflakes before it fell to the ground.

If you’re safe to drink rainwater, you would think the same would apply to snow. And, well, it sort of does.

But other than a spare snowflake that you catch on your tongue in the winter, it’s unlikely that you’re going to catch a huge portion of snow from the sky itself.

It pretty much always touches the ground first. In this article, we’re going to cover when you can eat snow based on what it looks like on the ground.

TLDR: Only eat fresh, white snow with no evidence of dirt, rocks, or animal or plant matter in it. Ensure that you are collecting snow away from any popular footpaths or parking lots.

When to Say Yes to Eating Snow

Picture this: You’re in the backcountry with some friends and someone wants to try a backcountry slushie (fresh snow with maple syrup in it – it’s delicious, trust us!).

Perhaps another, more practical, friend is trying to collect snow for campsite water.

If there’s fresh snow, you’re in luck. Take a look off any main foot or animal paths to find relatively untouched snow.

As you gather it, take a look at the snow itself. There shouldn’t be any dirt, rocks, animal or plant matter in it.

Always take the snow off of the top of the snowpack.

The first snow that falls in any snowstorm is the most likely to absorb any dirt or pollution that’s floating around in the atmosphere before the storm, like the carbon that comes from smoke.

Snow does the work of cleaning the air as it falls by trapping it in the snowflakes themselves.

This means that it’s best to wait a few hours into a snowstorm to gather snow for eating or drinking, when there’s less dirt in the air and the snow.

This is the main reason why we would advise you to stick to the top of the snowpack.

Basically, you’re looking for the whitest and freshest snow you can find. This means that as close to that “fresh rainwater” state as possible, and as clean as you can find it.

As a review, here are the main qualities to look for when gathering snow:

  • Fresh: Make sure that the snow has recently fallen and hasn’t been sitting on the ground or packed in for too long.
  • White & Fluffy: Snow should be as white and fluffy as possible. This means it’s clean!
  • Less Travelled On: Locate areas where it’s less likely that people or animals have passed by or stepped on the snow.
  • Top of the Pack: Only gather snow from the top of the snowpack. Avoid anything too close to the ground (it’s more likely to have dirt in it), and wait a few hours into any snowstorm in active snow.

When to Say No to Eating Snow

Unfortunately, there’s probably going to be more instances where you’ll need to skip eating snow.

Here are the top things to look out for to know when eating snow is a no-go:

  • Snow is not white: Any other color in snow that’s not white means that it could have dirt in it. Brown, green, yellow, grey you name it. If you see any of these colors, skip it.
  • Snow is near animal enclosures: Avoid snow that is around any type of animal enclosure or feeder.
  • Snow is directly on the ground: You should only be gathering fresh snow from the top of the snowpack. Don’t eat the stuff that’s closest to the ground (and also the most likely to have dirt in it).
  • Snow has snow & ice salt in it: The chemicals in snow & ice salt are dangerous to ingest. Avoid snow from around parking lots, walking paths, or popular venues.

Any snow in popular footpath areas, or that has any dirt, rocks, animal or plant matter in it should absolutely be avoided.

It’s best to avoid any snow that is around an animal enclosure or feeder.

Contaminated snow will likely look dirty like we’ve mentioned above, but you can never be too sure. It’s better to avoid those areas altogether.

To be extra safe, you should also avoid snow that’s been packed in for too long, or is on the bottom of any snowpack.

This snow is also more likely to be brown and dirty (another good reason to avoid it).

As we mentioned above, in an active snowstorm it’s always best to skip any snow that falls at the beginning of the storm.

This snow is more likely to hold environmental toxins from air pollution. So wait a little bit before going for it!

Always avoid snow that has the potential to have snow & ice salt in it. This type of snow is usually around walking paths, parking lots, or popular venues.

The chemicals in ice & snow salt are dangerous to ingest, and the snow itself is more likely to be dirty from car exhaust.

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When to Boil Snow

Is It Safe to Eat Snow?

During backcountry winter adventures, you can use snow as a main water source.

During these moments, it’s important to boil the snow to ensure that it is as clean as possible.

Boiling ensures that any pathogens are killed, making the melted snow safe to drink.

First, follow our recommendations in the sections above to gather clean snow for your campsite.

Then, melt and boil snow for at least 1-3 minutes to ensure safe consumption, especially at higher altitudes where boiling temperatures are lower.

Once you’ve boiled for those 1-3 minutes, you’ll be good to go!

Let us know how it goes!

With all this information, we hope you feel prepared to stay safe when you take advantage of those snowy days and all they have to offer.

Let us know how the snow gathering goes for you, and what sort of creations you make!

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