In parts of Pennsylvania, a late-spring dusting of light snow is called onion snow. It’s a reference to the way little green onion shoots are poking through the white. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Onion Snow”
Grant, do you know what onion snow is?
No. Is it something you can buy at Coney Island?
Or Whole Foods?
Put it on your hot dog? Oh, Whole Foods, yeah. In the bulk section.
No, no, no, no. It’s a term that comes from Pennsylvania. It’s used pretty much only there.
And an onion snow is a light snowfall in late spring after you’ve already put out the onions.
Isn’t that beautiful?
I love that onion snow.
So the little green top sticking above the dusting.
Exactly.
That’s it.
It’s just a light dusting of snow and it melts very quickly.
And yeah, you already see the onions coming up.
I think that’s so beautiful.
You know, somebody should write a book of poems and title it Onion Snow, don’t you think?
Doesn’t that sound like a book title?
Maybe, yeah.
Onion Snow?
I don’t know.
And it’s sort of like Blackberry Storm.
You know, I think of a blackberry storm as a telephone, right?
But a blackberry storm in the south is a storm that happens after the blackberries have already started to bloom.
Great stuff, huh?
Great stuff.
Onions, yeah.
And food-related.
Yes.
-oh.
I can hear your stomach over here.
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