The Utah mountains have turned shades of pink, red and orange thanks to watermelon snow

Utah’s mountains have taken on shades of pink, red and orange thanks to a natural phenomenon called watermelon snow.

Summer officially begins this week, but at Tony Grove Lake in Cache County, the slopes are still holding on to an unusual form of accumulation.

Scott Hotaling, an assistant professor in Utah State University’s department of watershed science, told ABC4 that what appears to be another form of snow is actually a green algal bloom occurring at the surface.

Hotaling has been studying watermelon snow and the algae that create the effect for a few years now.

He told ABC4: ‘The snow algae produce a pigment that essentially darkens their cells, and it acts as both a shield against UV, so it protects their DNA and other aspects of their organelles from damage because they’re in such a bright place are located.

Some Utah residents have been quick to embrace the colorful buildup, which has turned the bottoms of hiking boots orange

“But it also has a secondary benefit: it causes their cells to absorb heat, which melts the snow around them, which actually gives them access to water, because, you know, we’re in a world of water here right now, but none of it is accessible.’

WHAT IS WATERMELON SNOW?

So-called “watermelon snow” is caused by microscopic algae called Chlamydomonas nivalis.

This is a unicellular red colored photosynthetic algae.

It can be found in snowfields around the world.

As the weather warms, the algae releases spores that grow and produce the unique color.

The red pigment mixes with the green pigment that all algae possess and creates the pink appearance.

In the photo: microscopic alga Chlamydomonas nivalis

As the algae darkens in color, it traps more heat from the sun, causing the snow to melt faster, which Hotaling said could be a problem in years of drought.

He is trying to determine how much snow in Utah is melting due to algae and what can be done to prevent it from becoming a problem.

The research is still in its early stages, but could produce results within two years.

While many look forward to basking in the summer sun, some Utah residents have quickly embraced the colorful buildup.

“I thought that was pretty cool,” Wallace Salle told ABC4.

“At first I thought, ‘Is someone painting it or something?'”

The young boy and his family had traveled to the lake from Minnesota.

“I think it’s very beautiful,” says local resident Dru Davis, who also visited with his family. ‘I like the colour. Pink is my favorite color. I think it almost looks like it was spray painted.’

Due to the pink snow, hikers noticed that the bottoms of their shoes have turned bright orange after walking in the snow, leaving the footprints a striking peach color.

In 2020, scientists in Antarctica captured incredible images of “watermelon snow” painting the pristine white wilderness a vibrant pink.

Fascinating images taken near a former British research station on an Argentine island in Antarctica brought the phenomenon to light.

The stunning photos were taken at the former British Faraday station, which was sold to Ukraine for a symbolic £1 in 1996.

Now known as Vernadsky Station, the blood-colored snow was unveiled by the Ukrainian Ministry of Science and Education.

The Ukrainian scientists said, “Such snow contributes to climate change because the red-raspberry-colored snow reflects less sunlight and melts faster.”

“That creates more and more bright algae in the snow.”