10 Fascinating And Terrifying Pics Of The Power Of Winter

Freeze! No, that wasn't a command; that was an exclamation, you don't need to freeze, pandas. If you're in the Northern Hemisphere right now, you're probably experiencing some crazy winter weather. And although 2023 was the Earth's hottest year recorded in history, it still had its fair share of winter storms.

Even now, at the very beginning of 2024, we're experiencing lots of snow and icy conditions. Just two weeks ago, CNN wrote about why we still have extremely cold weather when the planet warms to record levels.

One positive aspect of this worrisome trend is that this kind of weather can sometimes create some beautiful scenes out in nature and our cities. That's why we're continuing our yearly trend of presenting you with lists of beautiful and sometimes chuckle-worthy pictures of winter doing its thing.

Bored Panda reached out to Energy Meteorologist Andrew Markowitz. He's a science communicator on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter (X) who talks about all things weather. He makes informative but entertaining videos explaining things like the Polar Vortex and El Niño, and he presents his viewers with fascinating bite-sized weather facts. We talked with Andrew about extreme winters, how climate change is affecting the seasons, and how he became a meteorologist.

More info: Andrew Markowitz on TikTok | Instagram

10 PHOTOS

#1 Accumulated Snow Depth Outside My House (Banana For Scale)

It's more than 15 bananas high. I measured this morning. We'll likely get a fair bit more snow, but it's also starting to warm up a little in the daytime, so this is probably the maximum for this season. For those who still think in the old-fashioned measurement systems, it’s about 230 cm or 7 and a half feet.

#2 Ice Sheet From A Leaf

#3 Whenever It Freezes This Happens To Our Spare Bedroom Windows

So Bored Panda reached out to a professional in the field – Meteorologist Andrew Markowitz. Lately, he too has been covering the shenanigans of the Arctic Blast in the U.S. on his TikTok channel, which has over 97k followers and 1.4M views.

Much of what we see in these pictures can be the product of extreme weather. What exactly is an extreme winter? Andrew says that it all depends on the location. The best way to determine this, the meteorologist says, would be by calculating averages.

"If your temperatures are much colder than average (more than 5 degrees or so) or you get much more snowfall than normal, then that would qualify as an extreme winter. Sometimes, this can be localized or other times more widespread."

#4 Photos I Took In Port Stanley, Ontario Canada. Combination Of Severe Wind, Cold, Water, And A Little Sand. The Base For Mother Nature’s Sculptures Was A Gate And Lamp Posts On A Pier

#5 That's Frightening

#6 Flowers After An Ice Storm

"Some regions are much more equipped to handle winter weather than others, which is what matters the most." These are places that have frequent cold winters, so they're better prepared for this kind of weather. "8 [inches] of snow or 10 degrees in Atlanta is much different than in Boston," the meteorologist explains.

#7 Freshly Fallen Snow

#8 I Took A Picture Of Our Road On A Winter Night

#9 This Is Tony - Our 5’10” Terrain Parks Day Lead Extraordinaire. This Is Also The Snow Bank In C-Lot. How Many Feet (Or Tonys) Tall Do You Think It Is?

When we read about extreme cold during winter, one thing might pop up in our minds. Why is it so cold if the scientists say every year gets progressively hotter? As we mentioned earlier, 2023 was the hottest year in history. And US scientists are predicting that 2024 might be even hotter. Climate change is the reason behind this phenomenon, and we asked Andrew to give us a quick rundown of how it is affecting extreme winter events.

#10 Freezing Temperatures And Strong Winds Have Created Breathtaking Formations Of Ice In Lithuania’s Resort Town Nida