Decorating With Snow That Does Not Melt

That was the surprising answer given to me by the manufacturer of instant fake snow powder 10 years ago. He had asked me if some of the plants I sold would "grow in snow", and I had responded, "I guess so, since snow melts and turns into water". His response was "My snow doesn't melt".

When I looked skeptical after his answer, he asked me to wait a minute while he went out to his car. He returned and asked me if I had a bowl and a glass of water, which I put on our checkout counter. He took out a foil packet and opened it and poured about a tablespoon of white powder into the bowl, and then asked me to pour the water on it. I did, and to my amazement and that of the small group of customers nearby, the powder instantly erupted into a small mountain of perfect looking white fake snow that was cool to the touch and had us all shaking our heads.

A few months later, this powder reached the US market for artificial snow for the first time, and the result in the market was a virtual snowstorm. As I had learned, this polymer based fake snow was developed in Japan for a series of huge indoor Snowboard parks that had been popular there for about 10 years. Refrigerated above and below the snow, this amazing product was perfect for snowboarding and ski jumping, though in the long run the parks were too expensive to build and maintain.

The Japanese manufacturer was trying to find financing for a snowboard park in Las Vegas, but that never happened due to the high costs involved. But in the 10 years since then, the fake instant snow powder he brought to America has become the quality standard for professional photographers and film makers, holiday decoration, winter themed events of all types including weddings, nightclubs, school, camp and church programs, and is now used in thousands of schools for science lessons and classroom fun. After instant snow hit the market, artificial snow would never be the same.

To this day, nothing beats the excitement of watching a bit of powder erupt into cold, perfect snow that lasts indoors for weeks or months. So, the next time someone answers a question with something that sounds impossible, like "My snow doesn't melt," let your imagination run wild and you may discover something as amazing and creative as instant snow powder.