3Pre-IntermediateKidsAges 9-11Environment

Antarctica Got a Huge Pile of New Snow!

Scientists found that Antarctica got a lot of new ice! Warm water far away in the tropics changed the wind and sent extra snow to Antarctica. It was the biggest ice gain ever recorded!

1 min readLevel 3September 8, 2026

By Flalingo Editorial Team

Vocabulary

Study these words before reading the article. Click the audio button to hear pronunciation.

covered

/ˈkʌvərd/

adjective

Having something on top or all around it

“The ground was covered in white snow.”

amazing

/əˈmeɪzɪŋ/

adjective

Very surprising and wonderful

“The view from the mountain was amazing.”

record

/ˈrekɔːrd/

noun

The best or most ever known

“She ran the fastest time and broke the record.”

carried

/ˈkærid/

verb

Moved something from one place to another

“He carried his bag to school every day.”

connected

/kəˈnektɪd/

adjective

Joined or linked together

“The two towns are connected by a long road.”

huge

/hjuːdʒ/

adjective

Very, very big

“We saw a huge whale in the ocean.”

Listen to Article

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Article

Click on any underlined word to see its definition. Highlighted words are from the vocabulary section.

Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth. It is covered in ice and snow. Scientists watch it from space. They saw something amazing! Antarctica got a lot of new snow.

Between 2021 and 2023, a lot happened. Warm water near the equator changed the winds. The winds carried water to Antarctica. Then the water fell as heavy snow. It was a record amount of snow!

The extra snow added 695 billion tons of ice! That is more water than a huge lake. But scientists say it will not last forever. Antarctica is still losing ice over time. Our planet is truly connected in surprising ways!

Comprehension Quiz

Test your understanding of the article with these multiple-choice questions.

1
Where is the coldest place on Earth?
2
What caused more snow to fall on Antarctica?
3
How much ice did Antarctica gain?
4
When did the extra snow fall on Antarctica?
5
Will the extra ice last forever?

Discussion

Answer these comprehension questions about the article.

1
What is Antarctica covered in?
2
How did scientists watch Antarctica?
3
What changed the winds near Antarctica?
4
How much new ice did Antarctica get?
5
Will the extra ice last forever?

Further Discussion

Share your opinions on these open-ended questions.

1
Would you like to visit Antarctica? Why or why not?
2
What is the coldest weather you have ever felt?
3
Can you think of other places with lots of snow?
4
If you could study any place on Earth, where would you go?
5
What is the most amazing thing about nature for you?

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