Don’t Eat the First Snow

Origin

This belief blends folk wisdom with practical caution. In rural communities, especially across the Appalachians and the South, the first snowfall was seen as nature’s way of sweeping the air clean after months of smoke and dust. Parents warned children not to eat it, saying it held all the pollution and "sky dirt" that had built up since the last snow.

Though similar sayings appear elsewhere in the U.S., the "first snow’s poison" warning became part of Southern mountain talk - passed along with other bits of weather wisdom and health advice from older generations.