Some might say that there’s nothing like a juicy watermelon during the summer. Others might say there’s nothing better than going outside during the first snowfall of winter.
What if you could get the best of both worlds with watermelon colored snow?
Recently Yosemite National Park announced that the adorable phenomena of watermelon snow, an instance of varying hues of pink and white snow, was occurring seemingly despite it being summer across the U.S. The pink snow, also called red snow or blood snow, is caused by a specific algae called Chlamydomonas nivalis that thrives in freezing temperatures and liquid water, and lives on top of snow, according to Travel and Leisure.
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“It may be August, but there is still plenty of snow and ice above 9,500 feet! This reddish colored snow is often called watermelon snow. The red or pink color is the usually green algae's natural sunscreen, protecting itself from too much heat and damaging UV radiation,” said Yosemite National Park in a tweet.
It may be August, but there is still plenty of snow and ice above 9,500 feet! This reddish colored snow is often called watermelon snow. The red or pink color is the usually green algae's natural sunscreen, protecting itself from too much heat and damaging UV radiation. pic.twitter.com/bfOSIadT4l
— Yosemite National Park (@YosemiteNPS) August 5, 2019
Yosemite National Park isn’t the only place that has the pink hued algae. Other places include Glacier National Park, parts of Colorado, and northern areas of Sweden and Switzerland.
The watermelon snow might look appetizing — think watermelon or cherry slushy — officials warn that you shouldn’t consume it.
"Although it probably isn't harmful to eat, we certainly don't recommend it," Yosemite Park’s public affairs officer Scott Gediman told Today. “Like the water in the high country streams, it is probably safe to drink. However, we highly recommend treating all water before drinking since there is the possibility of giardia, a bacteria that can make you very sick. Therefore, all snow (watermelon or not) should be treated before consuming.”
The algae also apparently causes the snow to melt a bit faster, so park officials warn that hikers should still be careful and be wary if a trail seems too dangerous. So if you’re one of the few in the quest for getting your own shot of the watermelon snow for Instagram, make sure you’re prepared adequately for the trip.
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