Earth Changes

Snowfall totals surpass 5 FEET in some areas of southern California with nearly 7 FEET at Mountain High

Chelsea Hylton, Jonathan Lloyd
nbclosangeles.com
Sat, 25 Feb 2023 13:57 UTC

Crestline, California, inspected the heavy snowfall

Heavy snowfall in Crestline, California

Over the past few days mountain areas have experienced high snowfall totals and there's more on the way.

A winter storm with an atmospheric river that made its way over the Pacific brought multiple days of unexpected snowfall to some parts of Southern California.

Some areas have already received over 30 inches of snow and there is more coming in the forecast.

The snow came as the National Weather Service issued a rare blizzard warning for the San Bernardino mountains as well as the LA County and Ventura County mountains.

Summer snow falls in Canterbury, New Zealand - foot deep on Mt Hutt

RNZ
Sun, 26 Feb 2023 13:34 UTC

Hundreds of people are cooling down on Mt Hutt in Canterbury today, which is getting its first snow of the year.

Ski area manager James Mckenzie said it was lucky that the snow coincided with Mt Hutt's open day, an annual fundraiser for Westpac Helicopters and the Methven Lions Club.

He said it is the first time in five years he has seen this much snow in summer.
"To get this amount of snow in February weather - 30 centimetres of snow on Wednesday and Thursday, which was enough to get us out skiing and riding today, which is amazing."

Mckenzie said about 1000 people were on the mountain today.

Bikes, dog fall into sinkhole as road collapses in New Delhi, India

ap7am.com
Sun, 26 Feb 2023 12:47 UTC

A dog and two bikes fell inside a hole after portion of road collapsed in RK Puram, Delhi.

On February 22nd, residents of the RK Puram area in New Delhi witnessed a startling event as a portion of a road gave way, causing a sinkhole to form. The collapse was captured on video and quickly went viral on social media. According to reports, a dog and two parked motorcycles were swallowed by the sinkhole as a result of the road collapse.

The incident occurred around midday, at approximately 12:40 pm, and was reported to the Delhi Police. Fortunately, there were no fatalities or injuries reported, and the authorities immediately took measures to cordon off the area and prevent further accidents from occurring.

Magnitude 6.2 quake strikes Papua New Guinea

Free Malaysia Today
Sun, 26 Feb 2023 12:00 UTC

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the remote New Britain region of Papua New Guinea today, the United States Geological Survey said, but no tsunami warning was issued.

The quake had a depth of 38km, the USGS said, and was recorded in the sparsely populated West New Britain archipelago region this morning.

The shaking was felt at a Walindi Plantation Resort near the town of Kimbe about 80km from the quake but it was described by a worker as "not too bad".

"No one really reacted, it shook, but no damage," resort worker Vanessa Hughes told AFP.

Source: AFP

South Wales hit by M3.7 earthquake, 1 month after sinkhole found in same region

Sophie Zeldin-O'Neill
The Guardian
Sat, 25 Feb 2023 20:34 UTC

Epicentre of quake, which hit just before midnight on Friday, was north of Brynmawr and west of Crickhowell

An earthquake has shaken parts of south Wales.

The British Geological Survey (BGS) said the 3.7 magnitude quake happened at 23:59 GMT on Friday. The epicentre was just north of Brynmawr, Blaenau Gwent and west of Crickhowell, Powys.

It was felt by residents across the region, including Abergavenny, Crickhowell, Llangynidr, Llanover and Llanfoist, with many saying that furniture and windows shook.

Comment: GoogleMaps below shows the epicentre of the quake and the location of the sinkhole, a distance of about 20 miles:

For more on the sinkhole, see: UK: Experts are baffled as giant 30ft-wide and 9ft deep sinkhole crater opens just feet from busy road in Wales

Heavy snow hits parts of southern California

Huw Griffith
Phys Org
Fri, 24 Feb 2023 17:37 UTC

© Phys Org
Snow has snarled mountain roads around southern California, as a brutal, and unusual, winter storm grips the area.

Heavy snow fell in southern California on Friday, as the first blizzard in a generation pounded the hills around Los Angeles, with heavy rains threatening flooding in other places.

Breathless television weather presenters more used to delivering a same-every-day forecast of warm sunshine found themselves knee-deep in the white stuff as the region grappled with its worst winter storm for decades.

Major roads were closed as ice and snow made them impassable, including sections of Interstate 5, the main north-south highway that connects Mexico, California, the Pacific Northwest and Canada.

Authorities said there was no estimate when it would be reopened.

"Dangerous and potentially life-threatening snow related impacts are likely for mountain, desert, and foothill roadways in southern California," the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

"Multiple rounds of heavy snowfall coupled with strong winds will lead to blizzard conditions over some of the higher terrain and mountain passes.

"Areas very close to the Pacific Coast and also into the interior valleys that are not accustomed to seeing snow, may see some accumulating snowfall."

Pack of 4 pit bulls maul man in Houston, Texas

Bryce Newberry
ClickonHouston
Fri, 24 Feb 2023 15:26 UTC

A Baytown man is recovering from a vicious dog attack Thursday night that sent him to the hospital and left him on crutches.

During his routine evening walk, four pit bulls that got loose from their yard started following him before he could be heard screaming throughout the neighborhood as they attacked him.

"I've never heard anything like that, like in my entire life," neighbor Jordyn Burks said.

She and her mother heard the hollering and called 911 while the mauling unfolded in Marisol Arredondo's front yard.

"Scary because it could have happened to us," she said. "That guy could have died right there."

Comment: A day later in the same state: Elderly man killed and 2 others injured in 'horrific' dog attack in San Antonio, Texas

6.0 magnitude earthquake off Hokkaido, Japan

Earthquake Track
Sat, 25 Feb 2023 14:51 UTC

6.0 magnitude earthquake 66 km from Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan

UTC time: Saturday, February 25, 2023 13:27 PM
Your time: Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 1:27 PM GMT
Magnitude Type: mww
USGS page: M 6.0 - 61 km ESE of Kushiro, Japan
USGS status: Reviewed by a seismologist
Reports from the public: 7 people

Death toll climbs above 50,000 after Turkey, Syria earthquakes

Al Jazeera
Sat, 25 Feb 2023 13:39 UTC

The number of people killed by the earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria earlier this month has now passed 50,000, according to the latest figures from both countries.

In Turkey alone, 44,218 people died as a result of the earthquakes, the country's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said on Friday, while the latest announced death toll in Syria was 5,914.

The first earthquake on February 6 that hit southeastern Turkey and northern Syria measured a magnitude of 7.7 and a second, a little later, measured 7.6. The region has been rocked by more than 9,000 aftershocks since, according to the AFAD.

Nearly 240,000 rescue workers, including volunteers, continue to work in the 11 quake-hit provinces in Turkey. Some of the areas affected by the quakes were initially difficult to access but recovery efforts continue and casualty numbers are rising as they progress.

There have been no reports of survivors being rescued in recent days.