Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow
@RichardMeister (5328)
Otis Orchards, Washington
December 30, 2016 5:58pm CST
Back in the late 1960s we would go out with a glass and scoop up some snow. Then we brought it in and poured milk over it. I can’t remember if you added sugar or not, but it made something like a milkshake. This was a treat for a couple of years. But it all came to an end.
Of course we all knew better than to scoop up yellow snow. With dogs and wild animals running around we all knew what caused the yellow snow.
What happened was we had heard not to eat any snow because as it fell through the atmosphere it collected radiation from the air. Therefore the snow was radioactive. And none of us wanted to glow in the dark.
I don’t remember where we heard this. It could have been on the news, which I think it was. I don’t know if we would have taken it as seriously as we did if just anyone would have told us.
Today I often wonder if this was a myth. If it was just something someone thought up without any real research being done. I know many survivalist save rainwater to drink. I haven’t heard of any of them glowing in the dark. They may even melt snow for drinking water.
Whatever the case, I have never eaten any snow, not just yellow snow, since then.
Do you eat snow? Have you ever wondered what was in the snow?
9 people like this
9 responses
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
31 Dec 16
where did you guys get the tank?i have barrels all over the place..
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
31 Dec 16
Apparently you have no fear of anything from the atmosphere getting into the water.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326127)
• Rockingham, Australia
1 Jan 17
@RichardMeister We are well away from any cities so we don't have any pollution to worry about.
1 person likes this
@much2say (53944)
• Los Angeles, California
2 Jan 17
I always wondered how it would be catch snowflakes with your tongue. Sometimes as kids, we'd open our mouths to catch rain drops . . . but these days I don't like the idea of that. I don't know about radiation, but I've often thought about the smog/pollution up there . . . surely snow or rain would clean up the air as it comes down - and the bad stuff has to go "somewhere". Earth, plants, people all thrive from rain/snow regardless . . . but perhaps the long term affects of "scary" water isn't obvious - yet. Yellow snow eventually evaporates too . . . does that mean it comes down as yellow snow?
1 person likes this
@much2say (53944)
• Los Angeles, California
3 Jan 17
@RichardMeister Oh, I meant wouldn't the yellow whiz snow have to eventually evaporate up to the skies . . . and then it would have to come down as yellow rain or snow (though less concentrated). 
Interesting about dry snow. But I thought snow was frozen water. If there is less water, then what else is in snow? 
Interesting about dry snow. But I thought snow was frozen water. If there is less water, then what else is in snow? 1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
3 Jan 17
@much2say Most snow melts into the ground so that's not likely to be the case.
I guess the best way to explain it is wet snow is almost like rain. Dry snow is just that, dry. I suppose it's the difference between a downpour and a drizzle. In a downpour your going to get soaked very fast where in a drizzle you can hardly tell it's raining.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
2 Jan 17
I'm sorry, but I had to laugh about your question on yellow snow. I'll answer that question with a question that will make it perfectly clear. What color would the snow turn if you had to take a whiz on it? Yeah, that yellow snow.
Now that I've got my laughter under control–well, mostly under control, I suppose a snowflake on the tongue wouldn't be much different than rain on the tongue. Colder, and maybe not as wet depending on how big the snowflake is. There is such a thing as dry snow. That means there isn't much water in the snow. This happens when it is quite cold out. If it's around freezing (32º F) then there is wet snow which has much more water in it. Wet snow is much heavier than dry snow.
1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
31 Dec 16
i haven't ate snow in years.there's so much dirt in the air around here anymore god knows what's going in it.i'm not worried about radiation tho..
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
31 Dec 16
The air does seem to be dirtier than it was when I was a child.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
31 Dec 16
I can understand that.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
31 Dec 16
Remember the Frank Zappa song Yellow Snow?
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
31 Dec 16
I don't remember it so I'll have to look it up.
@prabir12345 (530)
• India
31 Dec 16
Hehehe here we don't face snow as the climate doesn't cold to that extent . Now in the city culture I feel no one drink rain water.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
31 Dec 16
If there was any snow in this Godforsaken desert I would certainly eat it! I love snow and I'm sure there's pollution and even radiation in snow these days but I would not care. I was raised with 4 seasons and we had lots of snow in winter but I never heard of pouring milk over snow and drinking it. That would be good!
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
31 Dec 16
I don't know where we got the idea to pour milk over the snow. We were on a dairy farm so we did have a lot of milk so maybe it started out as an experiment since the milk was basically free.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
31 Dec 16
I don't eat snow these days but we sure did when we were kids and we are all still here so I guess whatever was in it then didn't kill us and no, we didn't eat yellow snow either lol
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
31 Dec 16
Yeah, I a bit old to be out there eating snow. Eating snow is kind of a kid thing to do.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73725)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
31 Dec 16
Never tried it only catching snowflakes on my tongue. You might find this interesting
UCSB Science Line Is it safe to eat snow? Answer 1:Well, I guess the answer is that it depends. Basically, of course, snow is just frozen water and actually more or less frozen DISTILLED water because it is moisture that was in the air which condensed. But
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
31 Dec 16
That's interesting. I see no one talked about radiation getting into the snow.
1 person likes this
