“Orange Snow” Covers Europe – The Explanation Behind It

However, there’s one not so familiar event that happened this weekend: skiers and snowboarders in resorts across Eastern Europe were surprised to experience the orange-tinted snow that turned the mountains into something that looks more like Mars or the set of a sci-fi film rather than a snow-sports paradise.

Among the destinations affected by the event included the Rosa Khutor ski resort in Sochi, Russia, which was the host of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games; other destinations such as Bulgaria and Georgia had to deal with the orange snow, as well.

Even so, there is no need to panic, as there is nothing dangerous going on. Meteorologists have explained that the orange color of the snow is caused by sand and dust blowing from the Sahara and Arabian deserts in the South, which eventually mix with snow and rain.

This phenomenon usually occurs every five years or so, but this year’s event has seen a much higher concentration of sand in the snow. Some people even complained about having sand in their mouths.

Even with the apocalyptic view, ski areas have remained open, as there is no need to worry. Moreover, the landscape has provided visitors with a great opportunity to create stunning pictures and share memories with friends.

On the other hand, the arrival of sand could be detrimental to the ski season: “The albedo of the snow is massively altered by the introduction of sand to the snow surface. The albedo refers to the ability of the snow to reflect the solar energy and this is reduced when any particle with color is added,” said Paul Wisely