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At least 25 Taliban fighters killed in avalanche on Afghan border


Laprensalatina.com
Mon, 15 Mar 2021 20:11 UTC
Afghanistan

Afghanistan
At least 25 Taliban fighters were killed in an avalanche while trying to cross into eastern Afghanistan from neighboring Pakistan through a mountainous route, Afghan authorities said Monday.

"Twenty five Taliban fighters, some of them Pakistani nationals, died in an avalanche last night in a mountainous area of Zazi-Aryob district last night on their way to Afghanistan," Mohammad Lal Amiri, police spokesperson for the Paktia province - where the incident took place - told EFE.

Amiri said that the accident occurred when the insurgents were trying to cross the border from Pakistan amid snow-covered mountains through a risky route which is not under the control of the Afghan security forces.

Most of the bodies of the deceased had been recovered from the area and transfered back to the other side of the Durand Line, the long border between Afghanistan and Pakistan established through a 19th century agreement between the British and Kabul, which is not recognized by the current Afghan authorities.
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Snowflake

Major snowstorm hits the Alps in mid-March - up to 4 feet of snow measured

Patrick Thorne
Inthesnow.com
Mon, 15 Mar 2021 19:32 UTC
Lech in Austria is pictured above this morning

Lech in Austria is pictured above this morning
Most of us can't get there, except those lucky enough to live near to an open ski area, but some of us still like to know what's happening in the Alps whilst we dream of returning. The news today, as we reach a year since most of Europe went in to lockdown (a week after Italy and a week before the UK), is that it's dumping down.

"The return of winter" comes with less than a week until the start of springtime and after several months when fresh snowfall has been quite rare, although most areas report good cover on their runs.

The snowfall is widespread but has so far been heaviest in the French and Swiss Alps where many resorts have posted >30-60cm (1-2 feet) of snowfall so far, some as much as 1.2 metres (4 feet) already, and the snowfall is expected to continue through this week.

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Snowflake

Late winter storm buries parts of Wyoming, Nebraska and Colorado under several feet of snow, including record-breaking snowfall in Cheyenne

Aaron Brown
Wyoming News Now
Sun, 14 Mar 2021 19:17 UTC
Wyoming Highway Patrol continues to respond to calls for stranded motorists during the March 13-14 storm.
© WHP
Wyoming Highway Patrol continues to respond to calls for stranded motorists during the March 13-14 storm.
Nearly twenty-six inches fell in Cheyenne by noon, Sunday March 14th. The massive snow storm, a low pressure system fed by gulf moisture dumped, and dumped and dumped some more. By the time this article is being written Sunday afternoon, the snow continues to fall in Cheyenne.


And you read that right - the last time we had this much snow was the same year Cheyenne was hit by the famous tornado of '79. This storm broke records by noon, and it's still not done.


Comment: The storm has since heavily impacted neighboring states. According to USA Today:
More than 2,000 flights were canceled in and out of Denver alone over the weekend. Runways were closed for Sunday night, the Denver International Airport tweeted, as it marked nearly two inches of snow.

Many highways and local roads were closed, including a few with "no alternate route advised."

In Colorado, some areas already had almost 30 inches of snow by noon Sunday. A foot of snow had fallen in Denver, and more was on the way.

"Total snow accumulations of 12-24 inches for the Interstate 25 corridor and up to 3-4 feet in the northern foothills," the National Weather Service warned. "Wind gusts of 30-40 mph will cause some blowing and drifting snow."

The Colorado Department of Transportation reported a slew of highway closures, including swaths of Interstate 70 that runs east to west across the state. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center set the avalanche risk as high, warning of "very dangerous avalanche conditions."

"Slow to ramp up Saturday, storm makes itself known on Sunday," the state Transportation Department tweeted Sunday afternoon. "Return travel from the mountains into #Denver will be extremely challenging Sunday. Motorists please make plans to postpone travel until Monday." [...]

Nebraska's State Patrol tweeted asking people across the western part of the state to stay home to avoid strong winds and blizzard conditions. The Department of Transportation urged people across the state to avoid travel if at all possible, reported the Omaha World-Herald.


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Snowflake

In Finnish capital region, snow piles built up this winter may not melt during summer

Aleksi Teivainen
Helsinki Times
Mon, 15 Mar 2021 14:42 UTC
Snow mountain at Maununneva snow dump.
© JUHANI NIIRANEN
Snow mountain at Maununneva snow dump. Its snow will not melt throughout the summer.
THE CAPITAL REGION of Finland has received so much snow this winter that the metres-high piles hauled to designated snow dump areas may not melt during the course of the summer, reports Helsingin Sanomat.

In Uusimaa, for example, the amount of snow was 1.7 times higher than last year in January, according to Foreca.

Helsingin Sanomat on Friday wrote that the piles of snow stand almost as high as 20 metres at the dump area in Herttoniemi, eastern Helsinki. In Maununneva, a north-western neighbourhood of the city, lorries have dumped roughly 16,000 loads of snow at the dump area, revealed Tero Koppinen, a production manager at Helsinki City Construction Services (Stara).

The snow ploughed from roads forms a large structure, nicknamed by the locals as the Alps, also at the only snow dump area in Espoo, in Vanttila.
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Snowflake

Colorado snowfall weekend totals: March 15 - reaching depth of over 3 feet


Denver7 - The Denver Channel
Mon, 15 Mar 2021 14:24 UTC
snow
Colorado snowfall weekend totals: March 15, 2021


Comment:

From 9NEWS on March 15 of overnight video footage taken in Fort Collins:
RAW: Time-lapse of snow building up on a table in Colorado

Blizzard Warnings are now in effect until midnight for the Front Range and foothills. Look for an additional 2-6" of snow and gusty winds near 45mph.


Credit: Eric Frazier, Fort Collins


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Snowflake

Colorado snow totals so far: Sunday, March 14 - over 2 feet deep in places


Denver7 - The Denver Channel
Sun, 14 Mar 2021 19:22 UTC
Woodland Park
© Debbie Kelley
Woodland Park
A list of Colorado snow totals so far for Sunday, March 14, 2021.

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Snowflake

2,000+ flights canceled in Denver due to Winter Storm Xylia - Interstates closed

Jan Wesner Childs
The Weather Channel
Sun, 14 Mar 2021 14:55 UTC
snow
More than a dozen roads in Colorado are shut down due to Winter Storm Xylia, including portions of two interstates.

The closures include Interstate 70 in both directions between Burlington and Limon and I25 in both directions from Wellington to the state line.

Other roads affected include several U.S. and state highways.

Air travel is being snarled, too. More than 2,000 flights were canceled this weekend at Denver International Airport.

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Snowflake Cold

Our cooling atmosphere: Curious circular clouds appear over Swiss Alps alongside an iridescent cloud


Strange Sounds
Sat, 13 Mar 2021 12:00 UTC
circle cloud alps
© 20min.ch
These mysterious cylindrical clouds over the Swiss Alps aren't natural... But, of course, scientists have no clues how they may have formed...


Comment: There are scientific explanations for how these kinds of clouds form, but what is notable is that they're not a common sight and their appearance points to an atmosphere that is undergoing significant cooling; and this is just one of an increasing number of examples.


How did these eerie cylindrical clouds formed in the sky over the Eiger in the Swiss Alps? via

The eerie sky formation hovered over the Eiger, a 3,967-metre (13,015 ft) mountain of the Bernese Alps.

This picture shows the two mysterious cylindrical clouds in the sky over the Swiss Alps on March 10, 2021. via 20min.ch

Comment: See also:

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Snowflake

Snowfall returns to west Las Vegas valley in March


news3lv.com
Sat, 13 Mar 2021 13:20 UTC
snow
Snowfall has returned to the west Las Vegas valley on Friday.

The National Weather Service in Las Vegas reports a band of rain and snow showers was moving into the south Las Vegas Valley as of 7:45 a.m.

Snow is common in the surrounding mountains when it rains in the valley.

Nevada Highway Patrol says there is snow on Mt. Charleston, which means chains, snow tires or four-wheel drive are required for anyone driving up.

It last snowed in the west valley in late January.

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Snowflake

Bayinbuluke Plateau in China still covered with heavy snow in early spring


New China TV
Fri, 12 Mar 2021 14:35 UTC
SNOW
Bayinbuluke Plateau in northwest China's Xinjiang is still covered with heavy snow in early spring.

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