Paranormal Weather

This entry is not strictly speaking about the paranormal, but the way our weather has been, it might as well be paranormal in nature. The weather been decidedly colder and snowier than usual. We had some more snow at the beginning of April, although none of it stuck for very long. This entire winter we had snow accumulating to 15 to 17.4 feet, which is the most that this area has received since 1968. In 1963, however, the snow started three days before Christmas and lasted until mid-March, but many of the old-timers around here do not remember it snowing in April.

Orange Snow

Orange snow in Russia

One consolation is that at least our snow was not orange, as it was in Russia in 2007. On February 2, 2007, oily, malodorous yellow and orange snow fell over an area of 1,500sq km (570sq miles), which included Omsk, Tomsk and Tyumen.

It was later determined that the snow was non-toxic, ruling out speculations about a rocket launch or a nuclear accident. The official cause of this colored snow is that dust and clay particles were blown into the atmosphere from a sandstorm in neighboring Kazakhstan. Environmentalists, however, counter-claim that it was due to industrial pollution, since the snow contained four times the normal quantities of acids, nitrates, and iron.

Watermelon Snow

Watermelon Snow

Or even pink snow.

In Sierra Nevada, California, snow lingering during summer (primarily at altitudes of 10,000 to 12,000 feet) has some unusual properties. Snow compressed by boots leave a pinkish coloration behind, like watermelon pulp. It even has a distinct watermelon scent, giving its nickname "watermelon snow". Its cause is a species of algae, Chlamydomonas nivalis, which contains a "bright red carotenoid pigment in addition to chlorophyll" and is cryophilic (cold-loving), allowing it to thrive in freezing water. When the snow is compressed, the density of the red cells is increased and the color is heightened.

Source: NOAA's Unusual Snow Phenomena.



It's not unusual to have colored snow because dust, clay, soot and other particles can be swept up into the atmosphere and fall along with rain or snow. But I wonder how we would have reacted if we had awoken one morning to see orange- or pink-tinged snow lying on the ground.