But the winter weather is welcome in other parts of the Mainland. The 27th annual Snow and Ice Festival in China's Harbin province opened today. Each year, hundreds of thousands of tourists brave sub-zero temperatures to witness the spectacle. It showcases some of the largest man-made ice structures in the world.
This year, nearly ten million cubic feet of snow and ice were cut from Harbin's Songhua River so an army of sculptors could set to work on them with picks and chisels.
President Barack Obama has picked William Daley as his new chief of staff, calling him an experienced public servant, devoted patriot and friend. (Jan. 6)
Supernova Discovered by 10 year old Kathryn Aurora Gray, Paul Gray and Dave Lane from Abbey Ridge Observatory.
SN2010lt in UGC 3378
(imaged on December 31, 2010 and discovered on January 2, 2011 and confirmed on IAU Electronic Telegram 2618)