# It's cold outside. Have you tried the boiling water to snow trick yet? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 7, 2014, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085 "2014-01-07T00:17:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085/1 "2014-01-07T00:17:32Z")
It was 9 degrees this morning at my house. Perfect weather to try the boiling water to snow trick. It works better if you’re below zero. Disclaimer: use caution, boiling water can burn you, handle carefully and button your coat before going outside. [http://www.designntrend.com/articles/10026/20140106/boiling-water-is-turning-into-snow-outside-in-wisconsin-video.htm](http://www.designntrend.com/articles/10026/20140106/boiling-water-is-turning-into-snow-outside-in-wisconsin-video.htm) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085/2 "2014-01-07T00:23:43Z")
Water gun filled with boiling water makes mini snow blizard. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/051ddIvQ2hI/maxresdefault.jpg "Boiling water & water gun in extreme cold (Northern Ontario)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=051ddIvQ2hI) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085/3 "2014-01-07T01:34:02Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Water gun filled with boiling water makes mini snow blizard. > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=051ddIvQ2hI](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=051ddIvQ2hI) If it becomes that cold, I would think that there would be a lot more Canadians. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085/4 "2014-01-07T03:04:19Z")
Yes, I tried it today. It kind of works. The falling water produced a haze of ice crystals as it fell. It didn’t completely freeze, though. And cold water just fell to the ground–so having the water boiling hot is an important part of this equation. It was -10F when I tried. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085/5 "2014-01-07T03:14:14Z")
[Here’s my attempt](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCS0k4BQ9yU), I think it’s about -12 here or so and the water was just shy of boiling (call it a simmer). I didn’t want it at a roaring boil if it was all just going to splash back on my face. Didn’t seem all that impressive. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085/6 "2014-01-07T04:41:13Z")
Pshaw!!! [Make ice bubbles](http://sciencemadefun.net/blog/its-freezing-outside-time-for-some-fun/)! ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085/7 "2014-01-07T05:14:44Z")
Looks like snow to me. Can’t tell just from the video if any water hit the ground. It’s certainly a good result. > [@Joey\_P](#): > > [Here’s my attempt](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCS0k4BQ9yU), I think it’s about -12 here or so and the water was just shy of boiling (call it a simmer). I didn’t want it at a roaring boil if it was all just going to splash back on my face. > > Didn’t seem all that impressive. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085/8 "2014-01-07T05:31:54Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Looks like snow to me. Can’t tell just from the video if any water hit the ground. It’s certainly a good result. Most of it hit the ground, I don’t think it would have looked any different in summer. It should be a little colder in the morning then it is right now, maybe I’ll try it again then. Better light too. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085/9 "2014-01-07T12:52:38Z")
We did it when it was about -12 yesterday. Worked like a charm. Can’t believe I didn’t spend my childhood doing this. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085/10 "2014-01-07T13:00:56Z")
I don’t think it’s cold enough here in the DC area to do the water trick, but I’m sure as hell going home and playing with bubbles tonight! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085/11 "2014-01-07T13:26:02Z")
-12 here and it worked beautifully. I was going to show my gf a video, but she insisted I be put in harms’ way. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085/12 "2014-01-07T14:24:32Z")
Here it is again, in the morning [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnLIVTyBw4U) I’m pretty sure it was still water when it hit the ground. It may have turned to ice when I used ice water, but then you don’t get the big plume of steam. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085/13 "2014-01-07T15:51:46Z")
I’m Canadian and I had no idea about this until my co-worker showed me the other day. It works at -30C and below here. He took a mug of boiling water and threw it up in the air - _POOF!_ My friends in Whitehorse, YK, where it gets to -40C, say that you can freeze bubbles there. ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085/14 "2014-01-07T16:40:44Z")
Blowing bubbles outside is my favorite. They freeze midair and then drop and shatter. Or you can let it freeze over on the stick and do all sorts of fun things to it like poke it, or blow on it, or what have you. I frequently did the bubble thing when it was only in the 20’s - you just have to wait longer, is all. I’m kind of excited to try this boiling water trick tonight! ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085/15 "2014-01-07T17:19:19Z")
My son and I just went out and blew soap bubbles at -4. It was too windy to get them to persist on the wand and freeze in place, but it was very neat nonetheless. The bubble would float up, freeze, then burst in a little puff of snow. We’re going to try again in a couple of hours after the wind is supposed to die down. I’ll try to get photos or video. ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085/16 "2014-01-07T17:46:57Z")
Sadly, it’s not cold enough here. ---
**Author:** ![bartleby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bartleby/32/10491_2.png) [@bartleby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bartleby)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085/17 "2014-01-07T20:27:16Z")
We tried it last night, got the water to a rolling boil, took it out to the side deck, and tossed it. no more water, only snow. i was REALLY surprised at how well it worked. it was the coolest thing i did all day, that’s for sure! oh, it was somewhere around -9… i had to look up why it did that when i got to work today… ---
**Author:** ![James\_Toothpaste](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e56c9b/32.png) [@James\_Toothpaste](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/James_Toothpaste)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085/18 "2014-01-07T20:29:15Z")
Yes but it didn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085/19 "2014-01-07T20:29:19Z")
Thanks for the link to the bubbles. My daughter went outside and tried it out while the rest of us huddled inside at the window to watch. So neat the way the bubbles collapse! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2014, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085/20 "2014-01-07T20:33:41Z")
> [@Chicken\_Fingers](#): > > Thanks for the link to the bubbles. My daughter went outside and tried it out while the rest of us huddled inside at the window to watch. So neat the way the bubbles collapse! Mrs. Plant (v.3.0) wants to go outside and try that. I, too, shall watch from the window. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-cold-outside-have-you-tried-the-boiling-water-to-snow-trick-yet/678085.md?page=2)