'Freak' Orange Snow Sweeps Through Eastern Europe

Winter has been hell this year (is it hell every year?) and they tell me there’s still some snowfall to come here in NYC. So here’s my request: can it at least be a little interesting like it is across the pond?

Last week, a massive sandstorm in the Sahara Desert—which comprises a large part of northern Africa—sent sand soaring all the way over to Eastern Europe, where it mixed with the rain and snow and turned the wintry mix orange and yellow, according to the Weather Channel.

Countries like Bulgaria and parts of Russia saw this russet powder all over their ski slopes and in some cities—many of the photos and videos came from Sochi, Russia, former site of the Winter Olympics.

Some folks said it looked like they were skiing on Mars. Others called it freak weather. And while some publications have been tweeting about the crazy, “apocalyptic” snowfall, in many cases it just looked a bit dirty.

NASA’s Terra satellite captured some of the Saharan sand as it wafted over to Eastern Europe. Over in Crete, meanwhile, the sand swirled through cities, turning roads dusty and hazy.

The last time orange snow really freaked people out was in 2007, when three regions of Siberia saw orange snow that was also foul-smelling and oily. Russian scientists suspected that nearby nuclear plants and chemical plants could’ve been the culprit—especially after finding iron, acids and nitrates in the mix, according to the Guardian. But Russian officials said a storm in neighboring Kazakhstan had actually swept up clay and dust before dumping it in Siberia.

While an international traveling sandstorm isn’t too common, this happens every five or so years. Depending on the direction of the wind, the snow and rain can pull in the sand in from the atmosphere.

But it’s probably the first year it has happened where this joke can be made: