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Snow

Lillian Randolph in It's A Wonderful Life, with a dusting of fake snow made from foamite, sugar, water and soap.

The Crazy Tricks Early Filmmakers Used To Fake Snow

Cornflakes, flour and, uh, asbestos were all used in early movies

A view of Chicago during the last polar vortex, which plunged the Midwest into winter misery in 2014.

Trending Today

Grab Your Sweaters: The Polar Vortex Is Back

The atmospheric phenomenon will pack a chilly one-two punch this week

Grab your coats—this was the scene on Mauna Kea this morning.

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Hawaii Faces Down Nearly Three Feet of Snow

And more of the white stuff is on its way to the Big Island’s tallest peaks

How does language influence our thoughts? Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner in "Arrival."

Ask Smithsonian 2017

Does the Linguistic Theory at the Center of the Film ‘Arrival’ Have Any Merit?

We asked a Smithsonian linguist and an anthropologist to debate the matter

Cool Finds

Naturally Formed Snowballs Cover Beaches in Siberia

Thousands have washed up on an 11-mile stretch of shore of the Gulf of Ob

New Research

Chill Ways to Recycle Last Year’s Snow

Let it snow!

Sled dogs may not have enough snow during the 2016 Iditarod.

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Alaska Is Shipping in Snow for This Year’s Iditarod

Could a warm winter make the famous sled race go to the dogs?

2015 Champion and People's Choice

Family Travel

Learn the Secrets of the World’s Best Snow Sculptors

On the shores of Wisconsin’s Lake Geneva, teams of snow carvers turn chilly columns into masterpieces

A thick wetsuit is mandatory garb for surfers braving the ice-cold ocean.

For New England’s Snow Surfers, Surf’s Up Even When Temps Are Down

Catch a very cold wave at the New England Mid-Winter Surfing Championships

Snowflakes seem a natural choice for a pattern in the snow-covered field, but they also showcase Beck's mathematical precision.

Cool Finds

These Stunning Fractals Are Made of Snow

Snow artist Simon Beck uses his own two snowshoe-clad feet to create these masterpieces

Bei Bei had his first introduction to snow Jan. 21, 2016.

Zoo Keepers Hunkered Down with the Animals and Bei Bei Got to Play in the Snow (Photos)

A few animals got to play outside yesterday, while keepers watched over conditions and took extra precautions

In recent years, the festival has begun including sculptures that draw inspiration from popular culture. In 2009, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Winnie the Pooh were represented at the festival.

All the World’s a Frozen Sculpture at China’s Ice and Snow Festival

Thousands flock to one of the country’s coldest regions to see the stunning displays

Cool Finds

One Man Packed and Shipped Over 700 Pounds of Boston Snow This Year

But they refused to ship snow to anyone in Massachusetts

Trending Today

There’s Still (Filthy, Disgusting, Not-Yet-Melted) Snow in Boston Right Now

The detritus of Boston’s most severe winter ever has yet to melt away

Anthropocene

Scientists Discover Sudden Melting in the Antarctic

Warmer waters are eating away at protective ice shelves, letting glaciers flow into the sea

Cool Finds

The First Photos of Free-Falling Snowflakes Reveal Their Imperfections

Collisions in mid-air often produce ice crystal aggregates, rather than single symmetrical flakes

Trending Today

See the Winter of Our Discontent…From Space

NASA photo of the eastern United States confirms it’s really, really cold out there

Robert Sorlie and his team during the 2005 Iditarod race

Trending Today

Lack of Snow Forced the Iditarod to Move Its Track

Instead of starting in Willow, Alaska, this year, the race will start 300 miles north in Fairbanks

Cool Finds

Here’s How to Build an Igloo

Scratch your chilly construction itch

No snowman is perfect, but a bit of physics know-how can help in the construction process.

Ask Smithsonian

Do You Want To Build a Snowman? Physics Can Help

Here’s what you need to know about the science of constructing your very own Olaf

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