BACK IN THE UNITED STATES PLENTY OF PREPARATION FOR THE WINTER SEASON HAS GOTTEN UNDERWAY.
LET'S START AT CAMELBACK SKI RESORT IN PENNSYLVANIA.
THEY ARE GIVING WINTER A JUMP START - BY CREATING THEIR OWN SNOW.
MAKING A BASE LAYER ON THEIR OWN HELPS THE RESORT CONTROL THE SNOW THAT WILL COME NATURALLY, KEEPING IT SAFER FOR SKIERS.
DRU BROOKS/CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN RESORT: IT WOULD GET KIND OF LOST IF WE DID IT ON THE MOUNTAIN SO WE CAN REALLY FOCUS HERE ON A SMALL CONDENSED AREA SO WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE THAT WILL HOLD UP THROUGH THE WARM SPELL WE ARE GOING TO GET IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AND THEN BE ABLE TO GO AS A GOOD BASE LAYER WE CAN BUILD ON FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON.
BUT IN NEW YORK, THEY DON’T NEED ANY HELP.
THE AREAS OF THE STATE NEAR LAKE ONTARIO AND LAKE ERIE GOT THEIR FIRST DUMPING OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW. WE GET THE SAME THING HERE IN OHIO, BECAUSE WE HAVE A COASTLINE TOO - ALONG LAKE ERIE.
LAKE EFFECT SNOW IS SNOW THAT COMES FROM COLD AIR BLOWING OVER A WARMER LAKE. THEN WIND CARRIES IT UP AND OVER TO THE LAND NEARBY. SO ESSENTIALLY LAKE ERIE TURNS INTO ONE BIG SNOW BLOWER IN THE WINTER. UNTIL IT FREEZES SOLID.
NOW THESE GUYS IN COLUMBUS DON’T MIND THE COLD. A SET OF TWIN POLAR BEARS JUST CELEBRATED THEIR FIRST BIRTHDAY AT THE COLUMBUS ZOO, WITH SOME SPECIAL TREATS AND TOYS. NEVA AND NANIQ MIGHT ONLY BE ONE BUT THEY WEIGH 247 AND 397 POUNDS ALREADY!
OF COURSE, THE COLD WEATHER DOESN’T SUIT ALL ZOO ANIMALS. IN WISCONSIN SOME HAVE ALREADY HEADED INDOORS FOR THE SEASON.
FOXES, STORKS AND RHINOS WILL BE HANGING OUT INSIDE AT THE RACINE ZOO. BUT OTHER ANIMALS - LIKE LIONS AND ARCTIC FOXES - WILL BE SHIFTED IN AND OUT DURING THE WINTER.
OFFICIALS SAY THE INDOOR ENVIRONMENT WILL BE COMFY FOR ANIMALS THAT ARE NOT USED TO COLD.
BETH HEIDORN, EXEC. DIRECTOR, RACINE ZOO: "WHAT'S REALLY NICE ABOUT THIS BUILDING IS THAT WE KIND OF HAVE TO MAKE IT AFRICA WHILE WE ARE IN RACINE. SO THE FLOORS ARE HEATED, WE HAVE BIG BLOWERS UP ON TOP, WE TRY TO KEEP THE TEMPERATURE IN HERE BETWEEN 70, 75 DEGREES. IT CAN EVEN GO UP TO 80 DEGREES IN REALLY BITTER COLD. THAT WAY THE ANIMALS ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THE TEMPERATURE EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE IN RACINE."
RICK: HUMM I WOULDN’T MIND HEADING INSIDE IF IT WAS IN ONE OF THE HOUSES JUST BUILT IN NORTH CAROLINA. YEP, THEY'RE GINGERBREAD. AND THEY ARE PART OF THE NATIONAL GINGERBREAD HOUSE COMPETITION.
THERE ARE FOUR DIFFERENT AGE CATEGORIES FOR THE COMPETITION, BUT EACH IS JUDGED ON THE SAME ELEMENTS: APPEARANCE, CREATIVITY AND DIFFICULTY.
THE ENTRIES COME FROM ALL OVER – LAST YEAR’S WINNER WAS INTERNATIONAL - FROM ONTARIO, CANADA!
THAT BRINGS US TO THIS WEEK’S POLL. WE WANT TO KNOW... WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WINTER ACTIVITY? YOU CAN CHOOSE FROM: WINTER SPORTS, LIKE ICE SKATING AND SKIING, PLAYING IN THE SNOW, OR MAYBE YOU’D RATHER STAY WARM INDOORS AND READ A BOOK OR BUILD YOUR OWN GINGERBREAD HOUSE.
Find Out More
Interactive Website: SnowDays | Virtually cut, create and share your snowflakes.
Website Article: National Snow and Ice Data Center, All About Snow
Website Article: Lake Effect Living, Lake Effect Snow | Explanation with diagram.
Website Article: Kids Play and Create, Fake, Pretend Snow Recipes for Kids | Can’t wait for it to snow? Make some of your own fake snow.
Video: YouTube, How Animals Get Ready for Winter | How do animals in the wild prepare for winter?
Website Article: Romantic Asheville, Gingerbread House Competition, Grove Park Inn | See last year’s yummy winners.