SEATTLE — A strange phenomenon is appearing in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest.
KING-TV reports that big, pink ponds are dotting the higher elevations — a result of something called “watermelon snow.”
Dr. Robin Kodner, a professor at Western Washington University, says it stems from an algae that turns snow pink at seemingly random times and places.
She says they have a lot of basic questions about the algae.
Watermelon snow is a relatively regular occurrence and has been spotted from Washington to Peru.
While it is pretty to look at, Kodner worries the algae may actually make snow melt faster, impacting the world’s melting glaciers.
