Questions about snow melt.

[Janne]

Most people do not realize you need drink more when outside in minus temperatures.
The air is very dry, and your airways dry out. You lose moisture.

Also, in severe cold, getting water is difficult. When I lived for weeks outdoors in the Arctic in my youth, I was thirsty most of the time.
Semi constipation.
Orange snow.

 

[Robson Valley]

I'm looking out my study window at the "fresh" snow, thinking I would not melt that to drink unless I was really hard up.
Melt a potful in your kitchen and look at what all settles out! Not even through clenched teeth.
It's -10C this morning, +19C in the kitchen, dry as a bone.
Here, it has to warm up to snow so none today.
My cold air humidifier runs nonstop, kicks 3-4 liters into the house air/24.

 

[Janne]

Those 'bits' add flavor, just like the mosquitoes and gnats during the warm season!

The water source for our village in Norway is a very popular spa spot for the local sea bird population.
Plus the odd piece of human they do not find one some 'adrenaline addict' misses his foot or handhold.

They had to install a sand filter, some kind of European regulation.

 

[Joe tahkahikew]

I must be doing something wrong. I guess nearly every winter I've sucked on snow or ice and drunk freshly melted snow or ice when travelling. ;-)

 

[Janne]

Bacteria does not breed in snow. So not much of a risk there. Pollutants - ?

I guess that sipping Dasani or Fiji from a plastic bottle gives you more pollutants than a bit of snow!

 

[Robson Valley]

Like at Joe's place, I think we get mostly mineral dust in our snow. Joe might get dust from Athabasca.
That's where the "blow dirt" in southern Sask. comes from.

I'd bet in the UK, there's a lot of marine salt kicked off the waves in storm spray.
Probably really good nuclei for snow flakes.

 

[Janne]

More Diesel fuel particulates than salt the closer to the cities you get in UK.

Some people still use coal to heat up homes too.