I live in a very hard water area where here, calcium clogs up virgin kettles within weeks. Flakes break off the element and settle at the bottom of my lapsang sushong as a nasty suprise after a nice cuppa.
The snow scene kettle is made almost entirely of glass, and the element is shaped like a snowman or a christmas tree, depending on the model you choose.
As the water heats up, the calcium 'snow' flakes will begin to swirl about, reminding me that it's a bad idea to slurp the last quarter inch of my brew.-- Fishrat, Feb 11 2009random, halfbakery