Earth ChangesS


Snowflake

German cows delayed annual trip to the Alps because thick layers of snow are still blanketing pastures

Rebecca Staudenmaier
Deutsche Welle
Sun, 23 May 2021 11:43 UTC
By this time, farmers normally start bringing their cows into the mountains
By this time, farmers normally start bringing their cows into the mountains
For tens of thousands of cows, their summer grazing in the Bavarian Alps will have to wait. Thick layers of snow are still blanketing their pastures — but the cold and wet aren't all bad, say experts.

Cows in southern Germany will have to stay in their stalls a little longer, as their grazing pastures in the Alps are still covered in snow, German media reported on Sunday.

At this time of year, farmers traditionally begin transporting tens of thousands of cattle up into the Alps for the summer, before driving them back down into the valleys in autumn.

What is the situation?

With pastures covered and mountain roads tricky to navigate, the traditional cattle drive will have to wait, news agency dpa reported.

Local business associations in the regions of Allgäu and Upper Bavaria said most farmers will need to wait another two weeks before releasing their cows into the mountainous pastures.

For areas that are even higher up — some farmers might have to wait until mid-June, the associations said.


Comment: A video of the snowy, wintry conditions in the nearby Austrian Alps on May 19:



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Snowflake

Best of the Web: Scotland shivering through coldest May in 40 years as snow falls in some areas

Paul Drury
Daily Record
Sun, 23 May 2021 11:02 UTC
Nick and Patrick Matheson, from Northumbria, went skiing at Cairngorm mountain, where fresh snow fell yesterday.
© Northpix.Nick and Patrick Matheson, from Northumbria, went skiing at Cairngorm mountain, where fresh snow fell yesterday.
Don't look out the shorts and sun cream just yet...

With just days left until the start of June, Scotland was hit by snow.

And while we all wait for summer to finally arrive, forecasters have warned we're on course for the coldest May in more than 40 years.

Srdjan Lulic found himself a bit exposed at the Cairngorm National Park, near Aviemore, Inverness-shire, as he headed out for a stroll with girlfriend Catherine Stewart, of Edinburgh.

Another driver had to clear a mound of snow from his windscreen, which had built up overnight.

Catherine said: "We'd planned on going for a walk to the summit of Ben Macdui but I think we will be limited to the lower slopes as there looks like there is a lot of snow on the higher ground.

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Snowflake

Rare late May snowfall hits Mount Charleston near Las Vegas

Jason Dinant
ktnv.com
Sat, 22 May 2021 10:47 UTC
snow
© Lee Canyon
The ski and snow season at Lee Canyon on Mount Charleston is over but no one told Mother Nature.

The National Weather Service reported snowflakes falling on the mountain this morning on their Twitter feed.

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Attention

Dead whale washes up on California beach - 12th since February in San Francisco Bay area

Jared Leone
kiro7.com
Sat, 22 May 2021 10:29 UTC
A dead whale washed up on a beach in Pacifica.
© Marine Mammal CenterA dead whale washed up on a beach in Pacifica.
A dead whale washed ashore Friday morning on a California beach, the 12th dead whale to be found since February in the San Francisco Bay area.

Wildlife officials with the Marine Mammal Center said the whale washed ashore around 3 p.m. at Pacifica State Beach, KTVU reported.

The species is unknown because of the advanced state of decomposition. A necropsy, which determines cause of death, will not be conducted.

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Windsock

Apocalyptic scenes as massive dust storm turns skies orange in southern Russia


RT
Thu, 20 May 2021 04:57 UTC
Dust storm in Astrakhan, Russia
© Global Look Press/ vk.com/ astra30Dust storm in Astrakhan, Russia
A giant wall of orange dust whipped up by strong winds has swept through southern Russia, painting the skies an eerie orange color while the gusts destroyed property and even injured some locals.

The storm ripped through Astrakhan Region, Republic of Kalmykia, known for its vast swathes of steppe, as well as Dagestan in the North Caucasus on Wednesday, wreaking havoc along the way.

Videos from Astrakhan Region on the Volga River showed deserted streets covered in thick orange mist and people running for safety. Some online commentators compared the striking images to those taken by rovers on the surface of Mars.

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Cloud Precipitation

21 runners dead as extreme weather hits China ultramarathon


Yahoo! News
Sat, 22 May 2021 03:27 UTC
Runner in China
© AFP
Twenty-one people were killed after hail, freezing rain and high winds hit runners taking part in a 100-kilometre cross-country mountain race in China, state media said Sunday.

One runner who had been missing was found at 9:30 am, but "had already lost their vital signs", state broadcaster CCTV reported, citing the local rescue command headquarters.

"This suggests that this incident caused 21 deaths in total," CCTV said. City officials had earlier confirmed 20 deaths and one person missing at a briefing earlier on Sunday.

Extreme weather hit a high-altitude section of the race held in the Yellow River Stone Forest near Baiyin city in northwestern Gansu province Saturday afternoon, city officials said.

Baiyin city mayor Zhang Xuchen said that at around midday a section of the ultramarathon course -- between kilometres 20 and 31 -- was "suddenly affected by disastrous weather".

"In a short period of time, hailstones and ice rain suddenly fell in the local area, and there were strong winds. The temperature sharply dropped," Zhang said.
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Snowflake

Mountain passes in Colorado covered with May snow

Shannon Mullane
The Durango Herald
Fri, 21 May 2021 19:07 UTC
Spring Snow Blankets Colorado's San Juan Mountains
Spring snow blankets Colorado's San Juan Mountains
A wet spring storm brought rain to lower elevations and snow to the high country Friday across much of Southwest Colorado.

Snow was so heavy and unexpected in the higher elevations that it closed two mountain passes on U.S. Highway 550 and prompted a winter weather advisory for parts of the San Juan Mountains.

Both lanes of U.S. Highway 550 reopened Friday afternoon after a temporary closure over Coal Bank and Molas passes, south of Silverton, because of adverse, snowy weather conditions.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for areas of the southwestern and eastern San Juan Mountains above 10,000 feet in elevation. The advisory, which advises drivers to use caution on the roads, is in effect until midnight Friday.


Comment: Prairies kick off 'unofficial start to summer' with heavy snow and ice

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Boat

Thousands evacuated after floods in Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia

Richard Davies
Floodlist
Sat, 22 May 2021 18:24 UTC
floods
Over 5,000 people have been forced from their homes after days of flooding in East Malaysia.

Malaysia's National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) reported flooding in parts of Sabah State from 17 May 2021. Areas in the neighbouring state of Sarawak were flooded from 20 May.

In Sabah, 4,221 people were displaced in Tenom district and 574 people in Beaufort district as of 22 May, 2021. NADMA said 42 evacuation centres have been set up to house those displaced.

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Fire

Greek villages evacuated as wildfire rages


Euronews
Thu, 20 May 2021 12:27 UTC
Fire burns among houses during a wildfire in the village of Schinos, near Corinth, Greece, late Wednesday, May 19, 2021
© APFire burns among houses during a wildfire in the village of Schinos, near Corinth, Greece, late Wednesday, May 19, 2021
At least six Greek villages and two monasteries were evacuated on Wednesday night due to a major forest fire on the coast of the Gulf of Corinth, about 90 km west of Athens, fire officials said.

"The fire is raging on a wide front near the village of Skinos, a fire brigade spokesman told AFP. According to Greek media, several homes were damaged but no casualties were reported immediately.

Some 180 firefighters, supported by 17 planes and three helicopters, are involved in the extinguishing operations, the Greek fire brigade tweeted.

"This is the first major fire of 2021 (...) villages have been evacuated as a precaution," fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis told Skai TV.

Black smoke from the fire was visible from the capital.

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Snowflake Cold

Prairies kick off 'unofficial start to summer' with heavy snow and ice


The Weather Network
Sat, 22 May 2021 10:37 UTC
Snow in Waterton, Alberta on May 21
Snow in Waterton, Alberta on May 21
Though deemed the "unofficial kickoff to summer," things are looking and feeling a lot more wintry across parts of the Prairies to start the May long weekend.

After beginning the week with some of the first 30-degree weather of the year, the mid-summer like heat quickly gave way to tumbling temperatures, setting the scene for a much more wintry end to the week. Snowfall and freezing rain warnings spanned Alberta and Saskatchewan through Friday morning, with difficult travel being reported on some major highway routes.

As much as 10-20+ cm of snow was forecast through the hardest hit areas, as temperatures hovered close to the freezing mark -- a 30-degree drop for most places from Monday. Persistent freezing rain has also taken a toll across parts of southern Saskatchewan, snapping tree branches and resulting in local power outages.

The good news is, conditions will gradually improve through Saturday, as temperatures attempt to rebound to more seasonal values. Some of the warmest weather will actually be felt across northern Alberta, with daytime highs reaching the lower 20s by Sunday.

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