A car covered in snow.

Is It Actually Safe To Make Ice Cream Out Of Snow?

NEWS

By ELIAS NASH

A bowl with two scoops of snow cream.
Snow cream is a unique take on ice cream that’s made from freshly fallen snow mixed with sugar, vanilla extract, and your dairy of choice (typically cream or condensed milk).
A man knee-deep in snow holding a shovel and looking at the sky.
Unfortunately, snow can absorb pollutants from the atmosphere during descent and accumulate contaminants such as dirt, agricultural chemicals, and animal waste once on the ground.
A boy licking snow from his hands.
Scientists, however, concur that the levels of pollutants in snow are minimal and well below toxic thresholds, making a cup of snow cream highly unlikely to pose any harm.
A cone filled with snow.
One easy way to avoid ground pollutants in your snow cream is to catch the snow directly from the air by putting a bowl outside for a few hours, or even overnight.
A power plant in snowy landscape.
While the first few hours of snowfall are more likely to contain air pollutants, the air should be cleaner afterward. Also, rural areas have fewer pollutants than industrial areas.