GLACIER PEAK, Washington - After a full day of snowshoeing up on Glacier Peak, you might be surprised to come across a patch of pinkish-red snow, known as 'Watermelon snow.' Not only does the snow look like the color of watermelon pulp, but it can smell like it, the Skagit Valley Herald reported.
Just don't eat it. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), algae and bacteria that thrive in cold conditions can tint the snow with a pinkish-red color, at certain elevations.
The fresh water algae contain a bright red pigment and it's most common during the summer in high alpine areas, according to the National Snow & Ice Data Center, the Herald reported.
Western Washington University professor Robin Kodner is researching the snow and is asking for the public's help.
Samples of watermelon snow collected by hikers can be left for analysis at various locations in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie Forest in Skagit and Whatcom counties.