"Early February brings deadliest week in the U.S. for avalanches since 1910," reads a thedenverchannel.com headline dated Feb. 8 (1910 fell during the solar minimum of cycle 14, a weak solar cycle very similar to that just experienced - cycle 24).
The article goes on, pointing out that between between Jan. 30 and Feb. 6 a total of 15 people died in avalanches across the United States. In Colorado alone, since Jan. 29, 2021, more than 500 avalanches have been reported to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC).
Further north, and across the border, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued extreme cold weather warnings across much of The Great White North as wind chills of -55C (-67F), and beyond, continue to batter many areas.
As reported by cbc.ca, a mass of brutal Arctic air arrived on Sunday setting low temperature records in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba — according to ECCC, 22 cold-weather records were broken, many smashed, throughout the three provinces.
The coldest temperature was seen in Uranium City, Saskatchewan where a bone-chilling - 48.9C (-56F) comfortably surpassed the previous record of -40C (-40F) set just two years ago, in 2019.
Fort Chipewyan was the coldest spot in Alberta, registering a low of - 47.3C (-53F) and breaking the previous record of - 45.6C (-50F) set back in 1936 (solar minimum of cycle 16).
While the community of Robin, Manitoba set a new record of - 42C (-43.6F), busting the old record of - 40.6C (-41F) set in 1972.
Looking ahead, ECCC has issued extreme cold weather warnings for most of Alberta and Manitoba and for the entire province of Saskatchewan.
"An Arctic ridge of high pressure has allowed for a very cold air mass to settle over southern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba," announced the weather agency on their website: "Watch for cold related symptoms: shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, numbness and colour change in fingers and toes."
But it isn't just Canadians that will be checking their fingers and toes, the next round of anomalous Arctic cold will descend as far south as Mexico, engulfing practically ALL of the United States as it goes:
GFS 2m Temp Anomalies for Feb. 15 [tropicaltidbits.com].
Temperature departures of more that 20C below the winter average are currently gripping the northern half of the the CONUS, and by Feb. 15 (see above GFS run) record cold have engulfed the majority of the U.S., from northern ND all the way down to southern Texas.
Debilitating snowfall will accompany the astonishing cold...
...snow that will only add the already above average Total Snow Mass for the Northern Hemisphere:
[FMI]
(Read more here)
Comment: U.S. avalanche death toll reaches 15 in a week - Colorado records 500 avalanches at the same time
Related: Dangerously cold temperatures pour into Europe this week