Reese Witherspoon Just Reignited A Fierce Debate About Consuming Snow

You’ve probably heard the adage warning against eating “yellow snow,” but with much of the U.S. blanketed by the fluffy white stuff, is it a good idea to eat snow of any kind?

While countless kids (and many adults) have ingested their fair share, not everyone is convinced it’s safe. And when actress Reese Witherspoon shared a social media video of the “snow salt chococinno” she prepared using snow from her grill, the debate attracted renewed interest.

Delicious or dangerous?

Witherspoon celebrated the “yummy coffee flavor” of her frozen concoction, and many of the responses to her post shared her excitement. However, some comments raised questions about its safety.

The co-star of “The Morning Show” weighed in by dismissing the naysayers.

“OK, so we’re kind of in a category of ‘you only live once,’” she said. “And it snows maybe once a year here. I don’t know — also, I want to say something: It was delicious. It was so good.”

She later pushed back against those who said snow isn’t safe because the impurities haven’t been filtered out, noting that she grew up drinking unfiltered water straight from the tap — or even the hose.

Take it from an expert

While Witherspoon’s creation might be unique, the concept of creating “snow cream” and other snow-based treats has been around for generations — and is even a common topic on TikTok.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good idea, advises physician Jennifer Johnson.

Snow is basically just water, she noted, but since it can pick up contaminants from the environment, it’s a potential source of illness … especially for immunocompromised folks.

Of course, not all snow is the same, and freshly fallen powder is far less likely to contain harmful contaminants than snow that has been sitting for several days.

Chris Agee January 22nd, 2024

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