DECEMBER 17, 2025

Weekly News

A Siberian Snowman in Billings

Dear Earth Observatory subscribers,


As we come to the end of the year, the Earth Observatory team would like to thank all of you for your continued support during 2025 and over the past 26 years. We have seen lots of change, especially over the past month with the move to our new home, and we are looking forward to 2026 and the promise of new stories and ways to tell them.


The Earth Observatory team is taking a break for this holiday season and these are the final stories we will publish in 2025. We leave you with this view of frozen lagoons on Russia's Chukchi Peninsula which reminds us of a snowman.


See you all in 2026.

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A Siberian Snowman in Billings

A Siberian Snowman in Billings

Winds, waves, and ice near a remote town on the Chukchi Peninsula have sculpted a series of coastal inshore lagoons that resemble an icon of winter.

A Subtle Return of La Niña

A Subtle Return of La Niña

A weak La Niña emerged in the equatorial Pacific in late 2025, and scientists are watching how it may help shape weather and climate in the months ahead.

New Timing for Stubble Burning in India

New Timing for Stubble Burning in India

Scientists say the seasonal crop fires are burning later in the day than in previous years.

Pacific Moisture Drenches the U.S. Northwest

Pacific Moisture Drenches the U.S. Northwest

A potent atmospheric river delivered intense rainfall to western Washington, triggering flooding and mudslides.

An Unrelenting Tule Fog

An Unrelenting Tule Fog

The right combination of conditions allowed this distinctive low cloud to form in California’s Central Valley for weeks.

City Lights Glow Along Moonlit Waters

City Lights Glow Along Moonlit Waters

An astronaut photographed moonglint shimmering across the sea surface and the bright clusters of Florida’s cities at night.

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