We used to make snow ice cream every winter when I was a kid! Tastes mostly like sweet milk.

yep, we used to make it when I was a kid too!

P.S. I grew up in pure, unadulturated, rural Idaho. I could see how growing up in the city might make this practice, as you say, appalling.

I was going to make snow ice cream after our last snow here, but I didn't think of it until the snow had been on the ground for a day or so. Though it still looked clean and untouched, I decided against it. Wish I had thought of it right after it snowed.

As a kid, I'd make maple taffy like they serve at the sugar shack. No need for butter: microwave maple syrup and drizzle it on clean snow. Yum!

I grew up in Vermont and we would have "sugar on snow" as a special treat. We'd each take a pan outside and pack it full of fresh snow, then come back in to where my mom was cooking down a pot of maple syrup on the stove. When it got to just the right point she would drizzle it over each of or pans of snow. Wish I had some now! Yum!

ha ha, i remember reading a story in grade school about sugar on snow and the kids lived in Vermont. in virginia we never got enough snow for snow cream, but i thought that was the coolest thing, maple syrup on snow.

We did in Western Mass when I was young. But here in NYC -- no, I'll pass.

Ohhh yeah, pure maple syrup on fresh snow, rolled up onto a stick. I haven't had that since I was 10 or so. It's making me drool thinking about it. Yum.

Not to detract from the point of the post, but please don't encourage the Weather Channel's fear-mongering by using their ridiculous naming scheme!

I have always lived in rural WI, so fresh, untained snow has always been in ample supply for me. Of course we always used to eat snow, but I've NEVER heard of making actual food with it. Pretty sure I would have lost my mind over snow ice cream when I was little.

We made snow cream all the time when we were kids, raw egg and all. We feared nothing.

And now, since I still have a big yard that I can walk out into, I imagine I'll give it another shot. It's a great way to celebrate the winter!

I read a Little House on the Prairie book when I was little that talked about making molasses candy on snow. I was always jealous because I live in Southern Arizona where we don't have snow. Maybe I'll have to try it once I move.

Growing up in Pennsylvania and Ohio, we'd find a clean patch and eat it with powdered pink lemonade drink mix drizzled on top. Tastes like tart sorbet!

Living in southwest OK, we have to make the most of every little snow we get. If it's just a dusting, I'll put a clean bowl out on the patio table to collect it (so I'm not scraping it off of a dirty surface). Snow ice cream, maple candy, lemon-sugar snow cones...

Snow ice cream? Yes. Maple syrup on snow? Yes. Anything more complicated or cocktails that use nice liquor? No.

I don't see why not, even in the city. Just go collect your snow when it's fresh, before anyone has walked through it. I've also had sugar on snow- such a treat!

I ate snow when I was a kid until my 6th grade science teacher told us to collect fresh snow, let it melt, and see what it actually looks like. Obviously, it's no different than drinking rain water. No thanks!

I don't know... snow is just frozen rain water. So, do you drink rain water? Just because it's "fresh from nature" doesn't mean it's pure. There's a reason why access to clean water is such a big deal - pathogens. I'd rather not risk a Giardia infection...

The key to snow ice cream (or whatever) is to put out a couple of big bowls -before- it starts, to catch the snow in a clean vessel.

like the OP mentioned and a few others, if you're in the city rain and snow are contaminated with varying levels of sulfuric acid or nitric acid (depending on where you live) and other pollutants.

so even though it looks clean and white, its not a good idea to consume it.

That's the craziest idea! But so cool! I wish we had more snow down here in VA!
Maria Tadic
http://beanafoodie.com/blog

wow! I wonder if this is safe to do, even in rural areas...I am intrigued!

In some towns of Turkey they are selling snow dessert which is snow served with jam or honey or pekmez.
Also in southern Turkey there is a dessert called "bici bici" made with snow, rose water, powdered sugar and starch : http://www.gsmkolik.com/tatlilar/1849-adana-bici-bici-tatlisi/

I don't know why is deleted first comment I wrote before
but again:
in some towns of Turkey they sell snow dessert made with snow and syrup or honey or pekmez. Also in southern Turkey there is a dessert called bici bici made with snow, powdered sugar, starch : http://neyimeshur.org/adananin-neyi-meshur/bici-bici/

It's not where the snow falls, that makes it dirty. It's all the pollution in the air, that the snow collects on it's way to the ground. It sort of cleans our air like a filter. I also ate snow as a kid, and lived to tell about it. ;-)