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British mother & son killed in French avalanche while skiing with ski instructor

Search and rescue efforts by PGHM
© PGHM CHamonixSearch and rescue efforts by PGHM
A British mother and son have lost their lives in an avalanche at the iconic Mont-Blanc massif in France on Thursday, December 28, 2023. The pair were traveling together with three other family members in a guided group with a ski instructor. In total three of the six skiers were swept away by the avalanche and buried. The third skier that was swept away and buried by the avalanche was the instructor who was the only skier wearing an avalanche beacon. He survived with mild injuries.

The avalanche occurred around 3:40 p.m. in a popular off-piste area in the Saint-Gervais-les-Bains ski area of the Mont-Blanc massif. The avalanche started at an altitude of approximately 2,400 meters (7,874 feet) near the Mont-Joly chairlift and went down around 400 meters (1,312 feet).


Snowflake

South Korean capital records heaviest one-day snowfall in December for 40 years

Visitors wearing traditional hanbok dress walk in the snow at Gyeongbokgung palace in central Seoul on December 30, 2023.
© Jung Yeon-je / AFPVisitors wearing traditional hanbok dress walk in the snow at Gyeongbokgung palace in central Seoul on December 30, 2023.
South Korea's capital received the biggest single-day snowfall recorded in December for more than 40 years on Saturday.

The country's weather agency said on Sunday that 4.8in (12.2cm) of snow fell on Seoul the previous day, the heaviest since 1981.

The Korea Meteorological Administration said a heavy snow advisory was issued for the entire Seoul entire area on Saturday before it was lifted later in the day.

It said other parts of South Korea also received snow or rain on Saturday.

South Korea's safety agency said Saturday's snow in Seoul and other areas caused traffic congestion, but no snowfall-related deaths or injuries have been reported.

Source: AP


Comment: Also for the same month: South Korea gripped by record-breaking cold wave and snowfall


Snowflake Cold

Best of the Web: Himalayas have been getting COLDER, Nature Geoscience journal reports

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© TwitterImage shows an ice-covered mountain of the Himalayan range
While this phenomenon may slow down the effects of global warming in some areas, its sustainability is not guaranteed over the coming decades.

A surprising phenomenon has emerged in the mighty Himalayas that might slow down the effects of the global climate crisis. Scientists have noted that when high temperatures hit high-altitude ice masses, 'katabatic' winds are triggered that blow cold air to lower-altitude areas.


Comment: That may be the case, although there's data showing that temperatures at higher altitudes in certain regions of the world have also been decreasing: Extremely rare 'rainbow clouds' light up Arctic skies for 3 days in a row


The study, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, was conducted using data from the Pyramid International Laboratory/Observatory climate station on Mount Everest, the world's tallest summit.

Comment: Their conclusion is that the cooling is local and that it's 'perhaps' not sufficient to counter 'global boiling', however data coming in from across the planet is showing that, overall, a period of significant cooling is upon us: Also check out SOTT radio's:


Igloo

Massive dark hole opens in the Sun - We are in a solar MINIMUM

Solar Cycle 24
© Armstrong EconomicsSolar Cycle 24
An enormous dark hole has opened up in the surface of the sun, emitting streams of unusually fast radiation, known as solar wind, right at Earth. The size of the temporary gap is wider than 60 Earths and extraordinary at this stage of the solar cycle. This phenomenon, known as a coronal hole, took shape near the sun's equator on December 2 and reached its maximum width of around 497,000 miles (800,000 kilometers) within 24 hours. Since December 4, the solar void has been pointing directly at Earth. Experts initially predicted this most recent hole could spark a moderate geomagnetic storm that could trigger radio blackouts and strong auroral displays. Solar winds have been less intense than expected, so the resulting storm has only weakened.

For most of its history, science believed the sun's output was constant. They finally realized that a thermal dynamic cycle beats like your heart so the sun could not exist without a steady outflow of energy. One degree less, and it would blow itself out. Hence, it is cyclical, rising and falling in intensity.
Solar Cycle 24
© Armstrong EconomicsSolar Cycle 24.
The eleven-year cycle in sunspots itself builds in intensity like the Economic Confidence Model (ECM), reaching "grand maxima" and "grand minima" over the course of 300 years. The last grand maximum peaked in 1958, after which the sun has been steadily quieting down. We have seen sun spot activity decrease at its steepest in 9,300 years, but the climate change zealots refuse to acknowledge naturally occurring cyclical weather patterns.

The last Maunder Minimum, during which the sun languished for seventy years, took place from 1645 to 1715 when the sun's brightness declined and the number of sunspots collapsed. In fact, fewer than 50 sunspots were observed within a 28-year period. Parts of the world became so cold that the period was called the Little Ice Age, which lasted from about 1300 to 1850. Now, a Solar Minimum does not mean that the sun becomes colder, but rather, it changes. As sunspots fade away, we enter a Solar Minimum.

Snowflake Cold

Beijing records longest cold wave in modern history

panda bear beijing zoo snow
© Chinatopix/APA giant panda rests on a tree at a zoo after a snow fall in Beijing
Beijing records longest cold wave in modern history as heating systems in part of China struggles

Beijing recorded its longest cold wave since records began in 1951 as the biting temperatures and snowfall experienced in the Chinese capital and elsewhere began to ease.

The temperature recorded at Beijing's Nanjiao weather station rose to above zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit)Sunday afternoon for the first time in days, state media Beijing Daily reported.

"Since temperature first dropped to below zero degrees on December 11, the temperature had remained below that line for more than 300 hours," Beijing Daily wrote.

Snowflake Cold

Heavy snowfall cripples life in Turkey

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A messy mix of snow and rain wreaked havoc in parts of the country, as roads were closed to traffic in the province in the eastern and southeastern Anatolian region due to heavy snowfall and blizzards causing low visibility.

Transportation was severely disrupted in the provinces of Tunceli, Hakkari, Kars and Sivas, with some vehicles stranded on the roads.

In the southeastern province of Hakkari, roads to 34 villages are inaccessible.


While the intermittent snowfall in the district increased its effect at night, the snow thickness reaching 30 centimeters in the center prompted the municipal teams to take action in Hakkari. The teams who worked hard to open the roads said they were ready 24/7 in case of a negative situation.


Snowflake

Heavy snow on the Sea of Japan Side - Iwamizawa sees record-high snow - 28 inches in 24 hours

A person walks through snow on Friday morning in Iwamizawa, Hokkaido.
© The Yomiuri ShimbunA person walks through snow on Friday morning in Iwamizawa, Hokkaido.
This season's strongest cold front brought heavy snowfall mainly on the Sea of Japan side of the country on Friday. The snow is expected to get heavier on Saturday, and the Japan Meteorological Agency is warning people to be careful about accidents and transportation disruptions caused by the heavy snow.

According to the agency, the amount of snow that fell in the 24 hours ending at 11 a.m. Friday was 73 centimeters in Iwamizawa, Hokkaido, the largest snowfall in the city's recorded history. Even on Honshu, Itoigawa, Niigata Prefecture, saw 58 centimeters; Shirakawa, Gifu Prefecture, saw 54 centimeters; and Ono, Fukui Prefecture, saw 53 centimeters.


Snowflake Cold

South Korea gripped by record-breaking cold wave and snowfall

A man looks on a greenhous that was destroyed
© YonhapA man looks on a greenhous that was destroyed by a snowstorm in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, Friday.
As winter tightens its grip across the globe, South Korea has found itself in the throes of its most intense cold wave of the season. On December 22, 2023, the nation was plunged into a deep freeze, with temperatures plummeting to perilous lows and snow blanketing the landscape in a scene as disruptive as it was picturesque. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) recorded some of the season's harshest conditions, with mercury levels dropping below minus 20 degrees Celsius in areas of Gangwon Province and the nation's capital, Seoul, witnessing a chilling minus 14.7 degrees Celsius.

In an extraordinary turn of events, the frigid weather forced Jeju International Airport to suspend runway operations for over seven hours, leaving thousands of travelers in limbo as 286 flights were canceled. The heavy snowfall, which reached more than 30 centimeters on Jeju Island and up to 60 centimeters in western coastal regions, created an almost standstill condition, affecting daily life and mobility significantly.


Comment: Just across the Yellow Sea recently: Rare, extreme snowfall hits Shandong cities in east China


Snowflake

Huge snowfalls in the Alps - meter of snow in 24 hours

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Stormy weather has brought hurricane force winds and some huge snow accumulations to the Alps, with ski areas in Austria appearing to see some of the most extreme weather.

The Zillertal Arena (pictured) reports it has had a metre of snowfall in 24 hours, while other ski res including Kitzbuhel and Obergurgl largely closed by hurricane force winds giving blizzard conditions.

The heavy snowfall is expected to be short lived with the forecast now for clear skies and sunny week through the Christmas Holidays and up to New Year.


Snowflake

Rare, extreme snowfall hits Shandong cities in east China

The snow-capped seaside in Rongcheng, a county-level city of Weihai, Shandong province.
© Li XinjunThe snow-capped seaside in Rongcheng, a county-level city of Weihai, Shandong province.
In a rare and extreme weather event, Yantai and Weihai cities in East China's Shandong province experienced a severe cold wave accompanied by heavy snowfall this week.

The snowfall created a unique and picturesque landscape, with netizens likening it to an Arctic expedition.

From Tuesday to Thursday, Yantai weather station received a snowfall of 28.6 millimeters, with a snow depth of 52 centimeters, breaking historical records since meteorological documentation began in 1951.

As of Friday, Wendeng district in Weihai reported a snow depth of 74 centimeters, setting a record for the deepest snow accumulation in Shandong province.


Comment: Related: Rare snowfall in southern China as deep freeze grips the north