© Sott.net
SOTT
SIGNS
OF THE
TIMES
OF THE
TIMES
Welcome to Sott.net
The World for People who Think
Earth ChangesS
A reader of SOTT.net sent us these photos of the aftermath of the recent blizzard in New York City. With records being broken all across the northern hemisphere, particularly in Europe and the US, it looks like SOTT's prediction that we are entering an Ice Age is coming true. Of course, the denialists will tell us that we have confused weather for climate, but when these same people confuse the War on Terror for the War Against the People, it is clear just who is really confused.
© Ryan Pelham, Highlands TodayA sinkhole approximately 140 feet wide opened up on Luis and Orpha Hernandez's property on Alphonso Lane in Venus on Thursday afternoon. Luis was standing on the area of the sinkhole when he felt the ground rumble, and within five minutes, a sinkhole approximately 100 feet wide had opened. By Friday afternoon, several feet of water had accumulated in the bottom of the sinkhole.
About 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Luis Hernandez felt the soil trembling beneath his feet.
"He had to run that way," said his wife, Orpha, pointing to the east behind their three-bedroom mobile home.
He heard air coming up, "Whooo, whooo, whooo," Orpha approximated the noise, as if underground air was rushing to the surface.
Luis knows because he looked at the clock on his phone - in just five minutes, a 100-foot wide sinkhole opened in the sand, gulping pots with palm trees and ligustrum hedges and catley guava.
By Friday, they'd rescued all the nursery plants from the one-acre plot, moving them to the adjoining nine acres. But the hole had swelled 20 feet wider, and at 4 p.m. Friday, the circular mouth was an estimated 140 feet across.
© Unknown
Bats living in several old military bunkers in New Hampshire are not being affected by white nose syndrome. Scientists hope to monitor temperature and humidity levels to try and determine why the bats seem to be immune.
A blizzard pummeled the northeastern United States on Monday, dumping up to 29 inches (74 cm) of snow, disrupting air, rail and bus travel and forcing motorists to deal with blowing snow and icy roads at the end of the busy Christmas weekend.
New York City, eastern New Jersey and western Long Island were the hardest hit by the storm, which blew up the Atlantic Coast on Sunday night and continued up to the Monday morning commute, unleashing powerful winds and grounding cities to a halt.
Trade on the New York Stock Exchange was expected to take place as normal. "Everything is business as usual," an NYSE spokeswoman said.
New York's three major airports were shut overnight after at least 2,000 flights were canceled on Sunday, and not due to reopen until 4 p.m. (2100 GMT).
Thousands were stranded in the airports. At Philadelphia International Airport, some 1,200 stuck passengers were given pillows, blankets, water, juice and diapers from the airport's assistance program, a spokeswoman said.
New York City, eastern New Jersey and western Long Island were the hardest hit by the storm, which blew up the Atlantic Coast on Sunday night and continued up to the Monday morning commute, unleashing powerful winds and grounding cities to a halt.
Trade on the New York Stock Exchange was expected to take place as normal. "Everything is business as usual," an NYSE spokeswoman said.
New York's three major airports were shut overnight after at least 2,000 flights were canceled on Sunday, and not due to reopen until 4 p.m. (2100 GMT).
Thousands were stranded in the airports. At Philadelphia International Airport, some 1,200 stuck passengers were given pillows, blankets, water, juice and diapers from the airport's assistance program, a spokeswoman said.
© Mandi AndersonTaken at Danby, North Yorkshire
Temperatures were expected to remain below freezing on Boxing Day with spells of rain, sleet and snow in northern Ireland, Scotland and parts of west Wales and far west England, spreading eastwards overnight.
But they added that temperatures could rise as high as 10C (50F) by the middle of next week as a new weather system moves in from the Atlantic.
Those braving the bleak mid-winter to get away for Christmas yesterday faced reduced rail services, icy roads and continuing cancellations and delays to flights.
A number of train companies ran amended timetables, with some services axed on the main London to Scotland routes up the east and west coast.
The RMT transport union said it was "scandalous" that train companies could bring in "special" timetables and avoid financial penalties.
© ReutersAir France planes parked on the snow-covered tarmac at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.
Passengers at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris were evacuated from one of its terminals today amid fears for their safety because of an accumulation of snow on the roof.
Bernard Cathelain, the deputy director of the Paris airport authority ADP, said the terminal was still operating but passengers had been asked to move.
Le Monde reported that about 60cm of snow had built up on the roof of the terminal and about 2,000 people had been evacuated. Firefighters have been sent in to clear the snow.
The problem added to the woes at Charles de Gaulle, where freezing conditions and a strike at the main French factory producing de-icing fluid forced the cancellation of half - about 400 - of the flights scheduled for this morning. A supply of de-icing fluid (glycol) has been flown in from the US but many passengers already face missing Christmas dinner, which is traditionally served tonight in France.
Polar bear on O'Connell Street, Dublin - This has officially been the coldest December on record
Last Monday County Mayo recorded low temperatures of -17.2C (1F).
The latest snap is expected to last beyond Christmas Day and a thaw is expected to set in slowly on St.Stephen's Day December 26th.
Even then there will be heavy rains and high winds, and driving conditions will be even more risky say the experts.
Dublin Airport was closed again yesterday for most of the day when an unexpected snow storm hit.
The weather continued to play havoc with effort to get home for Christmas by thousands coming from America, Australia and many other destinations.
In New York and Boston and Chicago Aer Lingus were warning passengers to check with the airline before departing for the airport as yesterday's unexpected storm had again thrown schedules up in the air.
© UnknownPiers Corbyn
Astrophysicist Piers Corbyn issued this warning 10 days ago.
"The midwest has already had tremendous snow deluges around 10-12 December, said Piers Corbyn, astrophysicist of WeatherAction long range weather & climate forecaster.
"But you ain't seen nothing yet compared with what is going to hit NE USA including New York State in the period 25-31st December."
"Very Major snow and blizzard events will strike NE & E USA in a double hit centered around 25-27th & 29-30th Dec.
"This is likely to be one of the most significant snowfall/blizzard periods in NE & East USA for decades". (See here)
WeatherAction forecasted weeks ahead that there will be many dangerous weather events around the world in the period 25-31 Dec and specified a triple whammy of extreme events for Britain/Northwestern Europe, Northeastern /Eastern USA and South/East Queensland Australia.
"There will be many dangerous weather events around the world in this period", said Piers. "Snow/blizzards/rain (where appropriate) and winds will be much more severe than standard meteorology will predict from 2 days ahead in these periods".
© Simon Baker/New Zealand Herald/Associated PressSafety fences are erected around fallen bricks on Madras Street in central Christchurch, New Zealand, on Sunday, after a series of aftershocks.
No one was injured, but at least 20 buildings in the city's center were damaged by the quake, which scientists said was the latest of hundreds of aftershocks since a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Christchurch on Sept. 4. That quake caused extensive damage and a handful of injuries, but no deaths.
Sunday's earthquake also came a few hours after a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck under the sea near Vanuatu. There were no reports of damage or injuries from that quake, though it generated a small tsunami wave.
New Zealand and Vanuatu are situated on the Pacific "ring of fire" - an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones stretching from Chile in South America through Alaska and down through the South Pacific.
© unknown
Mount Washington has been pummelled with three metres of fresh snow in the past three days, burying lodges, cars and even ski lifts.
A spokesman for Mount Washington Alpine is boasting a mid-mountain snow base of more than five metres, currently the deepest among ski resorts worldwide.
Brent Curtain says in the past month and a half the resort has already gone halfway toward breaking its all-time record of 18.5 metres of snow -- which took five months to build up in the winter of 1998-1999.
