Awesome Winter

Making a snowman is a fun winter pastime. Still, there’s very little in common between a snow-man and a hu-man. Comedian Ryan George illustrates that point in his sketch about what must have been going through the mind of the first guy ever to build a snowman.

Half-Asleep Chris created this wonderful LEGO railroad which winds through a snowy winter scene. The indoor-outdoor ride takes the tiny train through a gingerbread village, an ice cave, a spinning storybook tunnel, and a giant snow globe made from a geodesic dome. The journey starts around the 7-minute mark.

Skiers Verneri Hannula, Ilkka Hannula, and Juho Kilkki headed to Finland’s Havumäki Ranch, where they found heaps of fluffy powder and shushed through acres of snow-capped evergreens. Real Skifi’s short film is equal parts ski film and dreamy winter postcard. Filmed by Janne Korpela and Anton Geier. Edited by Juho Kilkki.

Reindeer have been known to walk together in a circular formation in order to fend off predators and to protect their herd. This incredible aerial footage of hundreds of swirling deer was captured by filmmaker Andrei Golovnev on Russia’s Kola Peninsula in the Arctic Circle.

Freestyle skier Markus Eder takes us on a journey through powdery, icy, and downright daring downhill runs through various Alpine terrain. Watch Eder conquer steep slopes, slick surfaces, and ice caves while pulling awe-inspiring tricks. This epic ski film was captured by Innsbruck’s Legs of Steel over the course of two years.

Artist Scott Wilcock creates his freehand Snow Graffiti by spraying cans of fake snow onto windows. Watch as he creates a series of Halloween and horror-themed portraits, inspired by Edward Scissorhands, Hocus Pocus, and IT. Find more of Scott’s images on Instagram. The Mandalorian one is really incredible.

We’re based in Chicago, so we know a thing or two about cold winters. But we’ve never experienced anything like Yakutsk, Siberia, which has recorded a low temperature of -96°F (71°C). Discover With Cenet takes us on a trip to this frigid city, which is home to over 300,000 residents, and contends with some unique challenges due to the cold.

A few years back, the guys at the Beyond the Press channel created a small carousel on a frozen lake by cutting a circle in the ice. Now, they’re back with a super-sized version of the stunt, in which they helped make a 1000-foot diameter circle out of Finland’s lake Lappajärvi. The ice disc is estimated to weigh about 30,000 tons.

Scientists needing to access Antarctica’s Troll Research Station used to have to travel by boat and on foot to access their outpost. These days, airplanes make the trip easier, but there’s nothing easy about the preparation needed to land a jumbo jet on a runway built on the slick blue ice of a glacier. Flightradar24 explains.

Magnet Tricks stepped out into the frigid cold of Finland to capture a series of compelling and unusual images created by freezing soap bubbles atop a magnetic levitation platform. Inspired by the idea, the guys at Magnetic Games then created their own version with a floating bubble inside another bubble.

After seeing an image of a vehicle that had car wash soap stuck to it in freezing temperatures, Garage 54 decided to try and replicate the effect. For their cold-weather experiment, they sprayed their Hummer with foam in the -40º deep freeze outside their shop, turning the SUV into a fuzzy pink nightmare.

’80s kids might remember an Atari arcade game called Klax, a puzzle game where bricks dropped down the screen sort of like Tetris. Boing Boing’s Rob Beschizza thinks this house remembers the game too, as it satisfyingly drops snow off its roof in perfect brick-shaped pieces.

Covering sidewalks and driveways with salt in the wintertime can be a pain. Sure, there are salt spreading machines out there, but how many of them can fly? FliteTest created an over-engineered solution which uses a powerful drone to lift a hopper of salt into the air, then spits it onto the ground below.

Keep your feet toasty indoors or out with these comfy slipper boots. They’re made from a cozy wool blend and have a grippy rubber sole, so you don’t wipe out when you go outside to grab a package or walk your dog. A leather pull tab makes for easy on and off action, and a reinforced nose prevents stubbed toes.

This video wins the “wait for it” award of the month. After a number of attempts to nudge the massive pile of snow on this building’s roof, it seems as if it’s not going to budge. But patience pays off around the 55-second mark when the snow decides it’s had enough.

Zeppelin Zeerip’s offbeat short film owes more than a bit to the style of Wes Anderson, telling the story of a group of young men who head into the snowy mountains of Idaho in search of an elusive Hermit who escaped from an asylum. It’s an unexpected blend of winter sports action and quirky indie film tropes.

There are many legendary motorsports events in the world, but most are out of reach for the average person. To run the Baja 1000 or the Dakar rally requires a pro-level team. But there’s one event that can lay claim to the title of Most Extreme Driving Event, and pretty much anyone can do it. That event is the Alcan 5000 Rally.

VICE introduces us to Daniel Schetter, also known as “Surfer Dan,” a local legend in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, who, along with his friends, have made a name for themselves by surfing the frigid winter waves of Lake Superior, and for the amazing ice formations that gather on their exaggerated facial hair.

Built for high-intensity outdoor action, Helly Hansen’s comfy, quilted pullover provides warmth with Primaloft insulation that doesn’t absorb water. The side zipper and lack of bulk make it easy to throw on over or under layers, and it’s stretchy enough to move with you unlike most windproof and water-resistant fabrics.

We headed to snowy Winter Park, Colorado with Rocky Mountain Redline to put AWD cars from Nissan, Dodge, FIAT, Acura, for some Honda through their paces for snowy autocross, drag racing, and donut-making fun. There were no winners or losers, just six great cars and crossovers, all of which can handle inclimate weather with aplomb.

Our hands behind the wheel of GMC’s confident and luxurious SUVs and trucks, we headed into the snowy mountains of Vail, Colorado. There, we explored some of the natural beauty, hit some awesome snowmobile trails, enjoyed a luxury ski resort, and dined on delicious local cuisine.

You’ll never be cold again if you wear VOORMI’s rugged Wolf Creek parka. Its multi-layer insulation has a 4-way woven wool, wool batting, and RDS Certified 750-fill goose down to keep cold weather out, while a water-repellant coating keeps you dry from snow and rain. Available with or without the soft coyote fur trim.

You don’t need an 8K display to enjoy the stunning white imagery captured by video production company Armadas around Japan’s Mt. Moriyoshi. The conditions there are ideal for covering trees with an snowy and icy mix that occurs when clouds and fog freeze onto their branches and leaves.