Did you know that you should never eat snow? Well if you didn't know that, it's a good thing that you came here. The reason you shouldn't eat snow is because snowflakes form on small pieces of dust. When they fall from the clouds they pick up pollution in the air. The pollution sticks to the snowflake, then the flake falls to the ground. If you eat the snow you might also be eating pollution and dirt.
In 37 A.D. the emperor of Rome (Nero) had his servants get snow down from the tops of mountains and bring it back to his palace. After they brought it to him, he had them mix it with honey or fruit juices for him to eat.
The cleanest snow is in Antarctica. Because Antarctica is far away from cities and their pollution, the snowflakes aren't as dirty. The snow there might even be clean enough to eat.
Here is an experiment to show how clean the snow in your city really is.
You Will Need:
a plastic container that is empty, clean, and has a lid
a coffee filter or piece of paper towel
a bowl
a magnifying glass
1. Go outside and fill the container with fresh snow
2. Put the lid on the container and let it melt inside
3. After it has melted place and hold the coffee filter or paper towel over the bowl. Pour the melted snow slowly over the filter or paper into the bowl. Can you see dirt and stuff piling up on the paper or filter? If you can't tell, use the magnifying glass.
After reading this, do you want to eat anymore snow?