How do you make snow ice cream? Is it safe to eat? A guide to a frozen treat on a cold day

Stuck in the snow and feel like having a snack, but can't get to the grocery store? Good news: There's a tasty treat just outside your door!

Fayetteville has been blanketed by snow, as have coastal areas in Virginia and the Carolinas.

While the South digs itself out and waits for the snow to melt, some are making the best of the situation by making a little ice cream from the fresh snow.

Snow, after all, is just water, right?

Count The Fayetteville Observer's Jacob Pucci among those getting in on the culinary winter wonderland. Here's how he went about putting together his shivering snack:

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How do you make snow cream?

Here's everything you need to make some high-quality snow cream:

• 1/2 cup sugar

• Milk, half-and-half or cream (we used about 1 1/2 cups)

• 6-8 cups of clean, fresh snow

• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Here's a step-by-step guide to making Jacob Pucci's signature snow cream:

1. Gather a bowl full of fresh snow, or leave a bowl out overnight.

2. Add sugar and cream to the bowl of snow, and stir.

3. While stirring, add milk as needed.

4. Once it looks like regular ice cream, add vanilla.

5. Sit back and enjoy!

Is it safe to eat snow cream?

There are some risks when it comes to making ice cream out of snow. For one, there's more than just water in snow, just like there's more than just water in rain. With snow that's hit the ground, anything that was on the ground could be included in the mix, including the salt and chemicals used to melt snow off the roads and sidewalks, according to AccuWeather.

One scientist who spoke to NPR suggested waiting a few hours before gathering snow to eat. "Snow acts like a kind of atmospheric 'scrubbing brush,'" John Pomeroy, a water resources and climate change researcher at the University of Saskatchewan, explains in the article. "The longer the snow falls, the lower the pollution levels in the air, and thus in the snow."

An article on education site ThoughtCo warns of eating colored snow — be it yellow, brown, green or anything else. It also warns of eating snow gathered from near roads because of the exhaust fumes from vehicles driving by.

Otherwise, as long as you're eating in moderation — dig in!

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Snowcream recipe: How to make it and if it is safe to eat fresh snow?