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Freeze! No, that wasn't a command; that was an exclamation, you don't actually need to freeze, pandas. If you're in the Northern Hemisphere right now, you're probably experiencing some crazy winter weather. And although 2023 was the Earth's hottest year recorded in history, it still had its fair share of winter storms.

Even now, at the very beginning of 2024, we're experiencing lots of snow and icy conditions. Just two weeks ago, CNN wrote about why we still have extremely cold weather when the planet warms to record levels.

One positive aspect of this worrisome trend is that this kind of weather can sometimes create some beautiful scenes out in nature and in our cities. That's why we're continuing our yearly trend of presenting you with lists of beautiful and sometimes chuckle-worthy pictures of winter doing its thing.

Bored Panda reached out to Energy Meteorologist Andrew Markowitz. He's a science communicator on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter (X) who talks about all things weather. He makes informative but entertaining videos explaining things like the Polar Vortex and El Niño, and he presents his viewers with fascinating bite-sized weather facts. We talked with Andrew about extreme winters, how climate change is affecting the seasons, and how he became a meteorologist.

More info: Andrew Markowitz on TikTok | Instagram | Twitter (X)

It's winter right now in the Northern Hemisphere, and just this morning, I saw a post about how the darkest 10 weeks of the year are finally over. The five weeks before the winter solstice and five weeks after it are the darkest 10, with December 21 being the darkest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

That's the day when astronomical winter begins. Meteorological winter starts on the 1st of December, and people living in the Northern Hemisphere have already seen their fair share of crazy winter weather.

Sweden reported their lowest temperature in decades, at a whopping -48F on January 5th. The U.S. reported freezing temperatures of -30F from the northern Rockies, northern Kansas, and Iowa.

#2

Whenever It Freezes This Happens To Our Spare Bedroom Windows

Whenever It Freezes This Happens To Our Spare Bedroom Windows

OMurph3 Report

#3

Accumulated Snow Depth Outside My House (Banana For Scale)

Accumulated Snow Depth Outside My House (Banana For Scale)

It's more than 15 bananas high. I measured this morning. We'll likely get a fair bit more snow, but it's also starting to warm up a little in the daytime, so this is probably the maximum for this season. For those who still think in the old-fashioned measurement systems, it’s about 230 cm or 7 and a half feet.

okuboheavyindustries Report

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So Bored Panda reached out to a professional in the field – Meteorologist Andrew Markowitz. Lately, he too has been covering the shenanigans of the Arctic Blast in the U.S. on his TikTok channel, which has over 97k followers and 1.4M views.

Much of what we see in these pictures can be the product of extreme weather. What exactly is an extreme winter? Andrew says that it all depends on the location. The best way to determine this, the meteorologist says, would be by calculating averages.

"If your temperatures are much colder than average (more than 5 degrees or so) or you get much more snowfall than normal, then that would qualify as an extreme winter. Sometimes, this can be localized or other times more widespread."

#5

Flowers After An Ice Storm

Flowers After An Ice Storm

reddit.com Report

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"Some regions are much more equipped to handle winter weather than others, which is what matters the most." These are places that have frequent cold winters, so they're better prepared for this kind of weather. "8 [inches] of snow or 10 degrees in Atlanta is much different than in Boston," the meteorologist explains.

#7

Photos I Took In Port Stanley, Ontario Canada. Combination Of Severe Wind, Cold, Water And A Little Sand. The Base For Mother Nature’s Sculptures Was A Gate And Lamp Posts On A Pier

Photos I Took In Port Stanley, Ontario Canada. Combination Of Severe Wind, Cold, Water And A Little Sand. The Base For Mother Nature’s Sculptures Was A Gate And Lamp Posts On A Pier

HubertVan Report

#8

Freshly Fallen Snow

Freshly Fallen Snow

Mjanzalone Report

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Dominik
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This seems to be some really dangerous pressure, despite being extremely beautiful

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#9

How About That For A Snow Depth?

How About That For A Snow Depth?

willd14 Report

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okpkpkp
Community Member
9 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Donner's Summit? I was up there one winter (not THAT one) and it was unreal.

Cynthia Marrs
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This looks piled up from the road clearing. Makes me hope the boys aren't in danger of it caving in.

kkathleen517
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Isn't that dangerous!!? Get out of that!! What if it caves in on them?!

Bob Brooce
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think these guys deserve an honorable mention. It looks like they've got at least 2 shovels, and (I think) an avalanche probe. Rather than digging to show depth they may have been smart enough to dig an avalanche pit to test stability before playing with their snowmobiles. Hopefully they've also got helmets and just took them off while digging.

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When we read about extreme cold during winter, one thing might pop up in our minds. Why is it so cold if the scientists say every year gets progressively hotter? As we mentioned earlier, 2023 was the hottest year in history. And US scientists are predicting that 2024 might be even hotter. Climate change is the reason behind this phenomenon, and we asked Andrew to give us a quick rundown of how it is affecting extreme winter events.

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#10

Strange Ice Pattern On The Car After Driving Through A Blizzard

Strange Ice Pattern On The Car After Driving Through A Blizzard

xhilaryx Report

#11

Oulanka National Park, Finland (-23°C/-9°F)

Oulanka National Park, Finland (-23°C/-9°F)

katiya Report

The first factor that influences extreme winters is the loss of Arctic sea ice. "Warming is occurring faster in the Arctic than anywhere on the planet, and this is the most noticeable impact we're seeing," Meteorologist Andrew Markowitz says. 

"Faster warming in the Arctic generally leads to warming temperatures worldwide, but [it] also can disrupt the jet stream, which would support continued extreme cold 'Polar Vortex' events. Winters will likely be milder, but extreme cold snaps will still happen," Andrew adds.

#14

Surfer After Riding Waves In Lake Superior During Polar Vortex

Surfer After Riding Waves In Lake Superior During Polar Vortex

Devon Hains Photography , Devon Hains Photography Report

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#15

Great Way To Measure Though

Great Way To Measure Though

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Sigh J
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Honestly don't know how you do it... I'm from Aust and can't imagine the claustrophobic feeling of not being able to go outside

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Warmer sea-surface temperatures are the second factor. Andrew tells Bored Panda that, due to climate change, rain might replace snow in seaside areas. "In areas closer to the coast, this means that snowstorms at 31 or 32 degrees would instead become rainstorms at 33 or 34 degrees with an easterly wind," Andrew explains. "So those marginal events that at one point were snow will more likely be rain. It could also argue for more intense lake-effect snow events."

#16

Freezing Temperatures And Strong Winds Have Created Breathtaking Formations Of Ice In Lithuania’s Resort Town Nida

Freezing Temperatures And Strong Winds Have Created Breathtaking Formations Of Ice In Lithuania’s Resort Town Nida

Antanas Miežanskas Report

#18

This Is Tony - Our 5’10” Terrain Parks Day Lead Extraordinaire. This Is Also The Snow Bank In C-Lot. How Many Feet (Or Tonys) Tall Do You Think It Is?

This Is Tony - Our 5’10” Terrain Parks Day Lead Extraordinaire. This Is Also The Snow Bank In C-Lot. How Many Feet (Or Tonys) Tall Do You Think It Is?

Sierra-at-Tahoe Report

The third factor is that, most likely, we will be seeing less and less snow. "Median snowfall in general is likely to decrease, and there will be fewer snow events per winter, as well as more really low snow winters," Andrew goes on. "However, big snowstorms would still occur and perhaps could have a higher ceiling, with more moisture in the atmosphere due to warming."

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#20

Snow Removal In Montenegro, Durmitor Mountain, Mid April

Snow Removal In Montenegro, Durmitor Mountain, Mid April

_Harpija_ Report

#21

Why Bother With A Beer Glass When You Can Just Use Ice

Why Bother With A Beer Glass When You Can Just Use Ice

CaptainWisconsin Report

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Sven Bokhorst
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The beer might be nice and frosty, but your lips might freeze to this beer mug.

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"Meteorology was my lifelong passion, and I think my purpose in life is to keep people informed and safe from natural disasters," Andrew tells us when we asked him what inspired him to become a meteorologist. When we think 'meteorologist,' most of us probably associate it with weather presenters. But Andrew has found a new way to reach out to people: TikTok.

#22

I’m Up In Mammoth Now And The Amount Of Snow Here Is Amazing. This Is A Photo My Son Took From The Gondola Up To The Mountain Today

I’m Up In Mammoth Now And The Amount Of Snow Here Is Amazing. This Is A Photo My Son Took From The Gondola Up To The Mountain Today

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"I saw social media as a way to connect with people who may no longer receive weather from TV news (because of cord cutting) and are instead trusting less reliable sources," Andrew Markowitz explains his reasoning for using TikTok and Instagram to educate people. The less reliable sources, according to him, "include weather apps and hypesters who post extreme weather solutions with no scientific validity just for clicks."

#25

The Way The Snow On My Windshield Rolled Itself Up Like A Swiss Roll

The Way The Snow On My Windshield Rolled Itself Up Like A Swiss Roll

Artane_33 Report

#26

Home Depot Left The Sprinklers On Overnight In Freezing Weather

Home Depot Left The Sprinklers On Overnight In Freezing Weather

mangoklutz Report

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Linda R
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They do this in Florida on strawberries and other fruit crops. The ice insulates it to some extent, I was told.

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#27

Our Incredible "Iceman", Shane Wolken, Has Taken The Challenge! A Photo Capturing This Brave Feat - Washing The Crane In Frigid Temperatures To Protect It From Long-Term Damage

 Our Incredible "Iceman", Shane Wolken, Has Taken The Challenge! A Photo Capturing This Brave Feat - Washing The Crane In Frigid Temperatures To Protect It From Long-Term Damage

Mike Grantz Report

"With TikTok, I felt that this was a niche that no one had captured, and your videos could theoretically reach anyone in the world," Andrew explains his fascination. "It's very easy for misinformation to spread like wildfire without any kind of vetting, so I believe it's important for scientists to be on these platforms to spread accurate info," he adds.

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#29

I Used The Grill On Sunday Night, But I Lost It Now. Working On A Plan To Find It Today

I Used The Grill On Sunday Night, But I Lost It Now. Working On A Plan To Find It Today

TahoeGuyM Report

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Nimues Child
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Heh! We had planned on grilling two weeks ago, but the outdoor grill was frozen shut!

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#30

Snowfall In Hokkaido, Northern Japan

Snowfall In Hokkaido, Northern Japan

tak_tatata Report

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Amelia Jade
Community Member
9 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lived in the northern part of the main island for a decade. The snowfall was impressive. Sometimes I miss it....a little.

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Andrew is definitely right on the topic of misinformation about science online. According to the public interest research organization Advance Democracy, in 2023, there has been a surge in the amount of content denying climate change. The social media platform X (formerly Twitter) is the biggest culprit, as the number of posts "more than tripled" for the second year in a row.

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#34

The Way The Snow Melted On This Pole

The Way The Snow Melted On This Pole

teenypanini Report

#38

Calgary, Alberta This Morning When It Was -30 Degrees

Calgary, Alberta This Morning When It Was -30 Degrees

911_reddit Report

#39

This Ice Wheel In My Neighborhood

This Ice Wheel In My Neighborhood

JRDiesel Report

#40

Here Is The Entrance To The Marketing Office

Here Is The Entrance To The Marketing Office

sugarbowlresort Report

#41

It Got A Little Icy In My Neighborhood

It Got A Little Icy In My Neighborhood

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#42

Picture I Took Of My Driveway During Day 2 Of Snowmageddon

Picture I Took Of My Driveway During Day 2 Of Snowmageddon

OldCrow1892 Report

#43

Geological Strata Of A Canadian Winter

Geological Strata Of A Canadian Winter

fibonarco Report

#44

Oh, Poor Buffalo Baby

Oh, Poor Buffalo Baby

eustace225 Report

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arthbach
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We had about a 50cm of snow one year. The dog was not impressed, and decided to check the situation at the back door. The wind had blown the snow up against the back of the house, and there was 1m of snow at the back. The dog looked at the snow, looked at me. Then he cocked his leg on the snow, and rand back to the open fire in the sitting room. There wasn't much I could do, apart from close the back door.

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#47

A Picture Of St. John’s, NL, After The Snowstorm Yesterday

A Picture Of St. John’s, NL, After The Snowstorm Yesterday

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#48

There's Still A Little Bit Of Snow Piled Up At The Parents' Place In California (Near Tahoe)

There's Still A Little Bit Of Snow Piled Up At The Parents' Place In California (Near Tahoe)

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#50

My Thermometer Has Bottomed Out. Actual Temperature Is -44°C

My Thermometer Has Bottomed Out. Actual Temperature Is -44°C

iamfromcanadaeh Report

Note: this post originally had 98 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.