Snow is white...right? Well, not always. Snow can come in a variety of colors from iridescent and white, to black, brown, red, and yellow. If you are looking forward to a white Christmas, there is a reason snow is white predominantly. And yes, although the proverbial yellow snow sounds like something slightly perverse, it is indeed a real meteorological occurrence. In fact, in 2006, South Korea had an eventful yellow snow. What color snow will you see for the holidays?

Looking for a present for the holidays that will please the tough-to-buy-for person in your life? Typically, I like to purchase presents for family that they would probably like to have, but would never purchase themselves. Bring in the weather radio. Everyone should have one in the event of severe weather, but not everyone does. While this gift may stay stuck in a closet until needed, that is the very purpose of having a weather radio. You never know when you will need one because weather can be so unpredictable. Here are 10 weather radios to check out. Every price and option are available on the radios from portability, to flashlights, to an AM/FM radio tuner.

A few tips to keep in mind when buying a weather radio will save you time and money.

1. First, it is a good idea to get a NOAA All Hazards Radio which sounds an alert when critical news needs to be relayed. 'All Hazards' means you are not just getting weather information, you are getting warnings of other potentially dangerous situations as well. This includes, chemical spills, train derailments, biological disasters, terrorist attacks, and more. Also included are AMBER alerts for missing children.
2. Next, be sure your radio has SAME (Specific Alert Message Encoding) technology which allows you to specify the particular area for which you wish to receive alerts.
3. If you routinely lack cell phone service, you may also be in an area that needs another external antenna. That means you will need the (often optional) external antenna jack.
4. If you, or someone in your family has special needs, you need to investigate the optional equipment available for weather radios. For example, strobe lights are available for the hearing-impaired.
5. Don't even bother with a radio that does not have battery back-up. Power is one of the first things to go out in a storm.

Resources

• NOAA Weather Radios Brochure
• FEMA National Response Framework
• Streaming audio of the All Hazards network online

New Evidence on the origin of Earth's atmosphere is emerging as a result of a study completed by University of Manchester and University of Houston scientists. In a paper, published in Science magazine, Dr. Greg Holland, Dr. Martin Cassidy and Professor Chris Ballentine have shown that the Earth's atmosphere may not have started as a result of out gassing by volcanoes. Traditionally, from elementary school to college, many have been taught that the origin of the atmospheric gases began from volcanic activity.

'Meteorite Kr in Earth's Mantle Suggests a Late Accretionary Source for the Atmosphere' is the name of the paper that was published (viewing the paper will require a subscription). In the paper, the team describe the distinct meteorite markers found in volcanic gases which would suggest an extraterrestrial origin for the gases in the atmosphere. Was your teacher wrong? More studies may prove he or she was indeed wrong.

Some of the most beautiful ice photos can be of objects with a coating of glaze ice over them, such as in the photo of glazed trees to the right. The image is beautiful, but if the camera could pan back, you might end up seeing some of the destructive nature of freezing rain. In the same ice storm photo gallery, you can see some of the problems associated with freezing rain including power outages, fallen trees, and car accidents. Get more ice storm facts.