Winter Finally Arrives

Although much of the U.S. and Europe has had a largely snowless winter to date, the temperature has finally started to feel seasonal and snowfall will certainly follow. Other parts of the northern hemisphere have been experiencing more wintry weather, such as Harbin, China, which opens its famous Ice Festival tomorrow, January 5. 

From the Far East to the Mississippi River, from Moscow to Stonehenge, here are some recent chilly scenes from around the world.

A horse carriage carrying tourists travels past ice sculptures during a lighting test for the the 13th Harbin Ice and Snow World in Harbin, China, on December 25, 2011. The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival will be officially launched on January 5, 2012. (Reuters/Sheng Li) 

A leaf, covered in frost on November 13, 2011 at the "Planten un Blomen" park in Hamburg, Germany. (Christian Charisius/AFP/Getty Images)  

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