00:00Is it safe to eat snow? Short answer, sometimes, but there's real risks. Snow
00:06starts out as frozen water forming high up in clouds, but as it falls, and
00:10especially once it hits the ground, it can pick up all kinds of contaminants.
00:13Think dust, car exhaust, chemicals, and even microbes from animal droppings.
00:17That's why you should never eat snow that's old, discolored, near roads, or
00:21visibly dirty. And eating a lot of snow, even if it's clean, isn't harmless either.
00:27Your body has to burn energy just to melt and warm it, which can actually lower
00:31your body temperature and make dehydration worse. So if you're ever in a survival
00:35situation, experts say melting and purifying snow, filtering or boiling it, is much
00:40safer than eating it straight. The bottom line, a tiny taste of clean, fresh snow
00:45is usually low risk, but kids and anyone with a weaker immune system should be
00:50especially careful. Enjoy the snow day, just don't make it your snack.
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