Snow

Projects that harness the public to make observations and report data about the health of our environment are growing. Anyone can join—no PhDs needed.

Twenty-Four Ways to Turn Outdoor Passions Into Citizen Science

Heading into the new year, consider collecting scientific data while skiing, hiking, surfing, biking and partaking in other adventures

The original photos from late 1800s by famous snowflake photographer Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley, are stored in the Smithsonian Archives. His pictures were instrumental in helping scientists examine snow’s crystalline properties.

Why Scientists Find Snowflakes Cool

Mineralogists study snowflakes to learn more about how water in its solid phase behaves

So-called 'watermelon snow' sounds better than it looks and tastes; do not eat pink snow.

This 'Blood-Red' Snow Is Taking Over Parts of Antarctica

After a month of record-breaking temperatures, a kind of snow algae that turns ruby-hued in warm temperatures thrives

The high-quality ice comes straight from a pond located just a stone’s throw away from Ice Art Park, just west of downtown Fairbanks, where the annual competition is held.

The Painstaking Art of Ice Carving

It might be cold and labor intensive, but that doesn’t stop artists from testing their ice sculpting skills at the World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks

Record-Breaking Storm Dumps Four Feet of Snow on Parts of Montana

The September storm broke snowfall and temperature records across several states

Coal-colored snow has blanketed Siberia's Kuzbass region this winter, provoking local outrage and health concerns

In Siberia, Toxic Black Snow Reveals the Toll of Coal Mining

Authorities in one town reportedly attempted to cover up coal-polluted snow with white paint

‘Frost Quakes’ May Have Caused Mysterious Booms in Chicago

The event happens when sudden temperature drops cause underground water to freeze and expand

Chicago on a cold and windy day

What Is Wind Chill, and How Does It Affect the Human Body?

While wind will not change the ambient temperature of the air, it will change the temperature of your body

Ice and wind turn turn Japan's Maries’ fir trees into frozen figures.

Arboreal 'Snow Monsters' Overrun Northern Japan Every Winter

Ice and wind transform these high altitude fir trees of into real-life White Walkers

A chilly squirrel.

Do Animals Hate the Bitter Cold of Winter?

Animals can certainly feel the cold, and many species have developed unique ways of dealing with it

Glowing ice sculptures span eight million square feet of Harbin, a city in China's northeastern Heilongjiang province.

Step Inside Winter's Most Spectacular Wonderland at the Harbin Ice and Snow Festival in Northeast China

Visitors brave -40 degree temperatures to climb glistening ice castles and frozen replicas of iconic buildings

Adventurer Completes First Solo, Human-Powered Trek Across Antarctica

It took Colin O'Brady 53 days to drag a sled 921 miles from the Ronne to the Ross Ice Shelf

About 65 percent of Americans will send Christmas letters or cards this holiday season.

The History of Our Love-Hate Relationship With the Christmas Letter

How the "Dear Friends" missive started and how it has survived the Facebook age

Comet "Snowstorm" Swirling in This Stunning GIF Is a Tricky Illusion

“Things are not quite as they seem," explains astronomer Mark McCaughrean

This visualization is based on the first three-dimensional numerical model of melting snowflakes in the atmosphere, developed by scientist Jussi Leinonen of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

Watch This 3D Snowflake Model Melt Over and Over Again

It's not only mesmerizing, it could help researchers predict the hazards of wet snow

Musician and actor Nive Nielsen portrays Lady Silence, the most prominent Inuk character in 'The Terror.'

Tales of the Doomed Franklin Expedition Long Ignored the Inuit Side, But "The Terror" Flips the Script

The new AMC television show succeeds in being inclusive of indigenous culture

Orange snow dusted eastern Europe thanks to sands from Sahara

Why Orange Snow Fell Over Eastern Europe

It had to do with storms in North Africa

The oldest glacier in the Alps is protected by special white blankets to prevent it from melting.

This Swiss Town Is Protecting Its Glacier With a Blanket

But a high-tech solution might be on the way

Photojournalist Christopher Michel captured this mesmerizing scene just a half mile from the South Pole.

How the Antarctic Sun Creates Breathtaking Optical Effects

A fine haze of ice particles transformed this landscape into an otherworldly scene

Behold, the unsung hero of the Winter Olympic Games: ice.

The Slick Science of Making Olympic Snow and Ice

Crafting the ideal ice rink or bobsled course takes patience, precision and the skill of an Ice Master

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