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Mon, 27 Mar 2023
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Unprecedented snowstorm in Morocco leaves 87 villages isolated and 24,000 people in need of assistance - snow 2.2 meters (7.2 feet) deep

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The southeast of Morocco has been experiencing an unprecedented snowstorm since this weekend that has left 24,000 families in need of assistance and 87 isolated villages in the region of Ouarzazate and Zagora, which the authorities hope to access by Monday after having already unblocked most of them.

The Mohamed V Foundation for Solidarity has in recent days provided humanitarian assistance (food and blankets) to 9,000 families affected by the storm in the region of Ouarzazate, where snowfall reached 2.2 metres, 10,000 families in Taroudant and 5,000 in Zagora.

"The authorities' interventions in this area are progressing at a good pace despite the bad weather conditions," Sanae Berdikh, the Foundation's communications director, told EFE on Monday. Berdikh explained that during the intervention of the Moroccan troops they managed to evacuate by helicopter on Sunday morning a woman about to give birth who was trapped in a village in the area where the road was cut off. Both are in good condition in the provincial hospital. "An airlift has been set up between the airports of Casablanca, Ouarzazate, Zagora and Agadir with 20 rotations this weekend to bring humanitarian aid teams to the people affected," she said.


Snowflake

Kona Low storm brings 13 inches of snow to Mauna Kea, Hawaii

Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea on Feb. 19 at 11:46 a.m.
© Mauna Kea Weather Center
Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea on Feb. 19 at 11:46 a.m.
While many areas in East Hawai'i received more than 10 inches of rain from the passing Kona Low storm, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa were also blanketed with several inches of snow.

Both summits have been under a winter storm warning since Friday. It lifted at noon today.

According to www.snow-forecast.com, 13 inches of snow fell over a 48-hour period between Friday and this morning on the Mauna Kea summit.

Snowflake Cold

Temperature extremes: Heatwave to snowfall - Argentina's heat and cold records broken in 5 days

Argentina broke records for heat and cold within a short window of just five days this week, with temperatures plummeting a jaw-dropping 30 degrees Celsius as a heatwave gave way to historic snowfalls.

Argentina broke records for heat and cold within a short window of just five days this week, with temperatures plummeting a jaw-dropping 30 degrees Celsius as a heatwave gave way to historic snowfalls.
Argentina broke records for heat and cold within a short window of just five days this week, with temperatures plummeting a jaw-dropping 30 degrees Celsius as a heatwave gave way to historic snowfalls.

A cold front from Patagonia caused temperatures in Buenos Aires to drop from a high of 38.1 C (100.6 degrees Fahrenheit) last Sunday to only 7.9C (46.2F) on Thursday -- a record low for the month of February since 1951, the National Meteorological Service reported.

The lowest ever was 4.2C in 1910.

The South American country this week battled its eighth heat wave so far this summer with temperatures shooting up to nearly 40C (104F) in the center and north.

Snowflake

Iranian Kuhrang County buried in heavy snow 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) deep

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With the new wave of frosty weather sweeping across the country, snowfall has now blanketed Kuhrang County in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province.

The height of snow in Kuhrang has reached 2.5 meters.


Arrow Down

Avalanches caused by heavy snow kill at least 20 in Tajikistan

A view shows the area affected by an avalanche in Gorno-Badakhshan region, Tajikistan, February 15, 2023. Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense of Tajikistan

A view shows the area affected by an avalanche in Gorno-Badakhshan region, Tajikistan, February 15, 2023. Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense of Tajikistan
A series of avalanches has killed 10 more people in eastern Tajikistan, the Central Asian nation's government said on Thursday, bringing the death toll over the past two days to 20 and forcing hundreds of families from their homes.

Most of the avalanches hit the Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous region, which borders China and Afghanistan, and where more than 400 households have been relocated away from dangerous areas.

Avalanches have hit homes as well as roads, the government said, and all international traffic has been suspended.

The mayor of provincial capital Khorog, Rizo Nazarzoda, urged its 30,000 residents to stay at home as heavy snow and rain fell.

Videos from the area showed one-storey buildings covered up to their roofs with snow and ice blocks, with rescue teams digging through the snow in search of bodies.

Snowflake

37 inches of fresh snow in 48 hours dumped on Ski Santa Fe, New Mexico

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Ski Santa Fe received 37 inches of fresh snow from this past storm.

Officials said the conditions are outstanding with an 80-inch base.

"We've had one of the most incredible storm cycles I've seen in years," said Jack Dant, manager of Ski Santa Fe. "This is gonna help us get through the rest of the season without having to do any additional snow making."

Dant says they would've loved to see this much snow back in October, but is thrilled for a fresh dumping just before spring break. He expects a lot of locals will be hitting the mountain this weekend.


Snowflake

Major snowstorm dumps 40 cms (15.7 inches) of snow on Cape Breton, Canada

More than 40 centimetres fell on some parts of the island, making it the largest snowfall so far this winter.
© Kyle Moore/CTV Atlantic
More than 40 centimetres fell on some parts of the island, making it the largest snowfall so far this winter.
People in Cape Breton woke up to a lot of snow on Tuesday.

More than 40 centimetres fell on some parts of the island, making it the largest snowfall so far this winter.

"It's unbelievable. Welcome to winter. It finally came in February," said Don Vaters, who lives in Glace Bay, N.S.

Vaters was out shovelling in the early morning hours, daydreaming of a warmer climate.


Snowflake

Alta Ski Area, Utah surpasses 500 inches of snowfall for the season

Never-ending snow
© Alta Ski Area Facebook
Never-ending snow
Alta Ski Area in Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT, has always been known as one of the snowiest resorts in America, but this year has taken things to a new level. 5″ of fresh snow in the last 24 hours has taken the resort to 501″ for the season.

In 1981-1982 Alta set its long-standing record for the most snowfall between October and January with an astounding 442 inches. Without shock to the locals who have experienced a miraculously snowy winter, Alta broke that record on January 25th, 2023, with a total of 445 inches of snowfall between October and January.

Alta joins Mammoth Mountain, CA, as the only two resorts in the world with over 500″ of fresh snow this season.

The resort has a 132″ base, and there are a couple more feet of snow in the forecast.

In the last ten years, Alta has surpassed 500″ in 19/20 (542″), 18/19 (626″), and 16/17 (596.5″).

Arrow Down

2 backcountry skiers killed by avalanche in British Columbia

The scene of the fatal avalanche.
© Avalanche CA
The scene of the fatal avalanche.
Two backcountry skiers were caught and killed in an avalanche on an east-facing slope on Potato Peak, approximately 25 miles south of Tatla Lake, British Columbia, on Saturday, 11th February, reports Avalanche Canada.

The skiers had accessed the area using snowmobiles but were skiing at the time of the accident. Both victims were fully buried and did not survive. Search and Rescue was notified when the victims were reported overdue. The victims were located and recovered from the accident location.

The size 2 deep, persistent slab avalanche ran on a layer of facets approximately 10-25″ from the base of the snowpack. The slope was highly wind-affected, containing deeply wind-drifted snow and areas where the snow cover was thin and rocky. The crown depth was reported to be highly variable, between 25 and 50″.

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Anchorage in Alaska has seen almost double its usual snowfall since December

Anchorage residents clear snow on Monday.
© Elyssa Loughlin/Alaska Public Media
Anchorage residents clear snow on Monday.
With the latest weekend storm in Anchorage, the city's snowfall tally since the start of December now totals about 6 feet.

That's almost double what's usual in those two-and-a-half months, according to the National Weather Service. And, it's just the amount recorded at the weather service's official measuring spot at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Some parts of town saw more, including this weekend, said meteorologist Matthew Fazal. The West Anchorage spot got about 7 inches of snow on Sunday, a new record.

"If you're going toward the Hillside, we've been getting reports of 16 to 18 inches of snow," Fazal said.

He said, just this month, more than 23 inches of snow have fallen in Anchorage.

"The normal is six," he said. "So that gets us 17.5 inches above normal."