Kicker: Watermelon snow

NICK EICHER, HOST: Looks like those record-breaking snows that fell this winter will be sticking around until at least the 4th of July. And that seems fitting, given Americans’ affinity for watermelon on the Fourth: because this year, out in the Utah mountains, they’re reporting the appearance of what they’re calling watermelon snow.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Sounds de-lish.

RESIDENT: Never heard that that could happen, so I was from a technical perspective interested to see that.

EICHER: But don’t be fooled. It’s actually blooming algae, and the blooms have a pink color and sort of a sweet smell. Thus the name watermelon snow.

So is it safe to eat? Well, it probably won’t hurt you but experts don’t recommend it.

Of course, if they really want to discourage eating it, they could call it by its other name: blood snow.

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