'Pandemic of snow' in Alaska. Anchorage sees historic 100 inches of snow.

Imagine this: In just three days, from January 28th to 30th, Anchorage, Alaska, was buried under 16 inches of snow! That's a lot of snow, but guess what? This winter, they've already had over 100 inches of snow. Even for Alaska, that's a ton of snow! It's only the second time ever that Anchorage has seen this much snow two years in a row. And it's the first time so much snow has piled up by the end of January.Show more

People in Anchorage are used to cold and snow, but this is something else. They're working super hard to clear snow from roads and sidewalks. Schools are even having classes online because it's just too snowy to go outside. The snow is so heavy that it made the roofs of three big buildings collapse!

The city's leaders are telling everyone to clear the snow off their roofs because it's getting really heavy. Imagine 45,000 pounds of snow sitting on a house - that's like having eight big pickup trucks on your roof!

But Anchorage isn't alone. Other places in Alaska are getting buried in snow too. In Juneau, they got 69.5 inches of snow this month. And in Fairbanks, it got colder than -50°F!

Some people think it's too cold for snow to fall when it gets really cold, but that's not true. In Anchorage, it snowed over an inch when it was only 2°F. The last time that happened was way back in 1916!

Why does it snow even when it's super cold? Snow needs two things: cold air and moisture. The oceans are getting warmer and putting more moisture into the air. This means more rain, snow, and hail. The big question is, why are the oceans getting warmer? This is something everyone needs to think about because it affects our planet and our future. If you are ready for an answer see Global Crisis Responsibility.