Watermelon Snow Happening In Utah

Posted: June 22, 2023 at 8:44 am

Mountain snow in parts of Utah is turning red, pink, and orange due to a phenomenon called watermelon snow. Some visitors, confused by the hue, thought the color was paint…but the colors occur naturally. Watermelon snow is caused by green algae found in mountains around the world. The algae absorbs heat which melts the snow and allows the algae to access water. Utah State University professor Scott Hotaling said, “There’s a lot of evidence now that shows that the algae contributes rather significantly to overall melt of snowpack around the West.” A warning to hikers: Watermelon snow can stain shoes and jeans.