During the Roman Empire (27 B.C. to 395 A.D.) snow was hauled from the mountain tops to the city.  Syrup was added to make the world's first frozen dessert, the snoball.

The first manufactured snow was made by hand tools such as a wood plane.  Such tools can shave a block of ice into fluffy snow.  Hand-held ice shavers were designed solely to produce snoballs.  Ice shavers made by numerous manufacturers were available in the late 1800's.  In New Orleans, the snoball cooling tradition was popularized around the 1920's.

In 1934 Ernest Hansen invented the first patented, motorized ice block shaver to produce New Orleans style snoballs.  The high volume snow production was welcomed by the snoball vendors. Numerous other New Orleans snoball machines followed.

Most of the retail shave ice outlets in New Orleans spell the name of their product "snoballs" without the "w".  This spelling identifies the product to all New Orleanians and indicates an ethnic heritage to the long-lasting tradition.  There is a trend for new markets outside Louisiana to use the snow ball spelling with the "w".  This spelling further separates the snow ball from chipped ice of a sno-cone.  Snow spelled without the "w" creates greater product curiosity with potential customers.