[schiffern]

Perhaps it got started with people misunderstanding / misremembering drying off by rubbing snow on wet skin. Being wet in cold conditions can be a death sentence so you need to dry off quickly, and this is one of the recommended methods.

https://www.ncexped.com/drying-off-snow/

[crazygringo]

Oh wow, that's counterintuitive until you remember that snow basically works like a sponge. So as long as it starts out cold enough and you're quick enough, the snow can soak up water before it melts and gets you wet all over again.

[iancmceachern]

Totally.

It's interesting how it's counterintuitive I the exact same way as rubbing dry sand on your weet sand covered feet on the beach takes the sand off. Same mechanism too. Redistribution of the moisture back into the aggregate whole.

[notatoad]

i've never heard of people doing this to skin or clothes, but i know it's a thing for dogs and horses - you rub snow on their feet after a stream crossing, and the dry snow pulls the water out of their fur.

[jeltz]

Yeah, I am familiar with using snow to dry off wet clothes.