Between the 17th and 19th centuries, snow was an important product of the mountainous regions of many countries. “Snow caves” were commonly used to support that industry. In the higher latitudes, collected from frozen lakes in winter would provide ice for cooling drinks, preserving food, and medical treatment. In lower latitudes, snow was more available than ice and deep circular snow caves became commonplace until the development of refrigeration systems. During the winter, these caves would be packed with fallen snow that would then be re-excavated as needed during the…
