Today, the East coast of the United States was walloped by what’s called a “Nor’Easter,” or a blizzard packed with powerful gusts of wind, whiteout conditions, and more than 20 inches of snow in some parts of New York state and New England.
In New York City, it had us like this:
And while a snowstorm of this size in March is not unprecedented, it is uncommon. The National Weather Service declared a blizzard warning, and over 5,000 flights were canceled.
After a mild winter and the hope of an early spring, the storm took New Yorkers by surprise. The city wasn’t quite reduced to “Day After Tomorrow” levels of emptiness, but the usually bustling streets were replaced by an army of snow plows and a few brave federal workers trudging against the wind to work.
If anything, now is the perfect opportunity to sit at home on the couch, with a hot chocolate and maybe a glass of wine, and stream these movies about snow and ice — romanticizing the elements we very much want to avoid on a day like today.
1. "The Revenant," HBO NOW
This movie won Leonardo DiCaprio his first ever Oscar for Best Actor — and led to this bomb speech. It considers the myriad dangers of the American West in the 1820s, as well as the despicable treatment of the Native American population.
2. "Chasing Ice," Netflix
Nature photographer James Balog braved the elements to warn the world about the dangers of climate change. But, was anyone listening?
3. "Frozen," Apple iTunes, Google Play, Vudu
A powerful female protagonist, an F-rating on IMDb, and a theme song that’s catchy almost to a fault made this Disney movie an instant success. In it, Elsa, a princess, embarks on a journey into a world of snow and ice to find her long-lost sister, Anna.
4. Before the Flood, Apple iTunes, Google Play, Vudu
A long-haired Leonardo DiCaprio travels to the most remote parts of the world, including the North Pole, in order to see the very real effects of climate change on various human and animal populations.
5. The Day After Tomorrow, Google Play, Vudu
When an Antarctic ice sheet melts, it ushers in a series of environmental catastrophes, eventually plunging the world into a new ice age. It’s at once totally implausible, and way too real.
6. Snowpiercer, Apple iTunes, Google Play
Less well known than “The Day After Tomorrow,” “Snowpiercer” considers the socio-political effects of the fallout of climate change, in a world at which the only surviving humans all live aboard a train that travels the globe.
7. Happy Feet, Amazon Prime
This is a movie about dancing penguins. Need we say more?