People in Utah have been seeing snow on the ground tinged with a red and pinkish hue. It’s certainly pretty to look at, but what’s behind the natural phenomenon that’s nicknamed “watermelon snow”? The species of algae causing the colorful Utah snow is called Chlamydomonas nivalis. “I’m very light skinned, I have a lot more struggles with the sun than people that have much more pigmented skin – same idea for algae,” Hotaling said. There are no human health concerns for water quality and for anyone who comes into contact with the watermelon snow, according to Hotaling.

Source: CNN June 26, 2023 18:26 UTC