When snowdrifts cover Manhattan, or Colorado interstates are blanketed white, climate-change deniers climb out of the woodwork.

 

“Al Gore needs to dig out my driveway,” a man might lament from an Indiana snow bank. And while the World Meteorological Organization reports that 2001 to 2010 was the hottest decade on record, fantastic blizzards also made record appearances during that time frame.

 

Why? Because a warming Arctic may lead to snowier winters in the northern mid-latitudes, according to experts. NASA points out that winter wonderlands are also part of the global warming equation and do not negate the reality of global warming. Blizzards are not only as common as ever, they may be happening more frequently. With that in mind, here are six amazing images from space of powerful, deadly and ultimately ethereal blizzards. (Text: Katherine Butler)