Extreme Temperatures
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Snowflake Cold

Mammoth Mountain in California welcomes 3 feet of snow in a day from recent storm

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© Cody Mathison
The recent storm turned Mammoth Mountain Resort into a snow globe.

Officials with the ski resort have measured 3 feet of snow from Thursday's storm and more is forecasted for Friday.

Emily Van Greuning a communications Manager at Mammoth Mountain the the resort is making sure everything is running smoothly but also welcomes the snow.

"This is Mammoth Mountain's biggest storm of the season thus far. We have currently received over 3 feet of new snow at the summit today and significant additional snowfall is expected to continue through tomorrow before things start to clear over the weekend. Our Operations and Ski Patrol Teams are out on the mountain working diligently to assess conditions and open terrain safely. Our employees and our community are very excited for this. February is really turning on for us here in Mammoth and conditions over the holiday weekend are going to be fantastic."


Snowflake

Best of the Web: Japan leads the world in snow depths with 6 meters (20 feet) base at Polkus

Hakuba Happo One, Japan: 5th February 2025.
Hakuba Happo One, Japan: 5th February 2025.
JAPAN REPORT

Japan continues to top the world's snow depth tables after more huge snowfalls over the past week, with reports of up to 1 metre (40") of snowfall in 24 hours. Niigata continues to post the country's deepest snowpacks—which are about double the most that's lying anywhere else in the world. At Arai Ski Area, near the ski town of Myoko, there is a base depth of 610cm (over 20 feet), with Charmant Hiuchi Ski Area near Itoigawa City coming in second with a 560cm base. Ski areas in Nagano, host of the 1998 Winter Olympics, are also experiencing substantial snow depths, with the renowned resort of Happo-One in the Hakuba Valley boasting 5.5 meters.

The 6m/20 feet Polkus base is believed to be the deepest recorded base worldwide in several years. Japan's ski areas have been experiencing remarkable snowfalls over the past few months.

While much coverage has been given to the northern island of Hokkaido, known for ski areas like Niseko (145/250cm / 58/140"), which currently has every run open, the deepest snow depths are actually being observed in Niigata Prefecture, north of Tokyo on the Japanese mainland.

This region is benefiting from a weather phenomenon known as the Siberian Express, where dry air blowing east across central and eastern Asia hits the Sea of Japan, then rises and releases abundant snowfall upon encountering Japan's mountainous coastline.


Comment: Earlier report from February 4: Record-breaking snowfall hits Hokkaido as cold front sweeps Japan - 120 cms (nearly 4 FEET) of snow in just 12 hours with more heavy falls forecast


Snowflake

Hokuriku region of Japan experiences record snowfall - 19.6 inches in 12 hours

A car is covered by snow in Niigata City on Saturday.
© KyodoA car is covered by snow in Niigata City on Saturday.
The strongest cold wave of the season has caused record snowfall in the Hokuriku region since Friday night.

In 12 hours from Friday night to Saturday morning, 50 centimeters of snow fell in Niigata City, and 38 centimeters in Aikawa, Sado City, both of which are the highest ever recorded, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Snow has also fallen in areas that usually get less snow, such as Kyushu, Shikoku and the Pacific side of the Tokai region.

Nagoya observed one centimeter of snow for the first time in about a month.

The maximum amount of snow forecast to fall though Sunday morning is expected to be 80 centimeters in the Kanto-Koshin region, and 70 centimeters in Tohoku, Hokuriku and Kinki regions, the agency said.

On the Sea of ​​Japan side, authorities urged caution against poor visibility due to a whiteout.


Comment: See also this report from February 4 of earlier, exceptional heavy snow in another region of the country: Record-breaking snowfall hits Hokkaido as cold front sweeps Japan - 120 cms (nearly 4 FEET) of snow in just 12 hours with more heavy falls forecast


Binoculars

Alberta is experiencing an 'invasion' of northern owls: expert

Great grey owl sightings in central and southern Alberta have spiked this winter in an invasion, or irruption, caused by weather conditions and food availability.
© Amir SaidGreat grey owl sightings in central and southern Alberta have spiked this winter in an invasion, or irruption, caused by weather conditions and food availability.
Sightings of rare owls are on the rise in Alberta, which has many dubbing it Owlberta.

Great grey owls and northern hawk owls, two enigmatic species that are typically difficult to find, are now being seen at an unusually high rate in Alberta, with social media and the internet flooded with photos of them over the last few months.

There's a scientific reason behind the sudden surge in sightings, according to STRIX Ecological Consulting biologist Lisa Takats Priestley.

"We are experiencing an invasion of great grey owls and northern hawk owls in central and southern Alberta," said Priestley, who is Birds Canada's coordinator of the Alberta nocturnal owl population survey.

The invasion, known by researchers as an irruption, is a phenomenon that has brought these birds from remote locations to more developed areas in droves.


Snowflake

Rare snowfall on the Oregon coast

Snow in Seaside on the Oregon coast on February 4, 2025.
© Tim VanderipeSnow in Seaside on the Oregon coast on February 4, 2025.
When you think of the Oregon coast in winter, you probably think gray drizzle and king tides.

But the Oregon Coast Range - all the way from Astoria to as far as the Florence area - is under a winter storm warning until Wednesday at 7 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for much of northwest Oregon and parts of southwest Washington beginning Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.National Weather Service

The weather service adds to be ready for, "Total snow accumulations between 4 and 10 inches."


Snowflake Cold

Best of the Web: Record-breaking snowfall hits Hokkaido as cold front sweeps Japan - 120 cms (nearly 4 FEET) of snow in just 12 hours with more heavy falls forecast

Snow-covered streets in Obihiro, Hokkaido, on Tuesday
© JIJISnow-covered streets in Obihiro, Hokkaido, on Tuesday
A powerful low-pressure system is unleashing record-breaking snowfall along Hokkaido's Pacific coast, with the city of Obihiro accumulating more than 1 meter of snow in just 12 hours through Tuesday.

Heavy snowfall has persisted since Monday night, with Obihiro recording 120 centimeters in the 12 hours through noon on Tuesday, the highest on record for the city. Snow depth in the city has now surpassed 120 centimeters, a level last seen in 1972, according to private weather forecaster Weathernews.

While the cold front's impact is most pronounced in the northern regions along the Sea of Japan, the cold air mass is also pushing westward, spreading snow to the Kyushu region facing the East China Sea and the Shikoku region facing the Seto Inland Sea.

In some parts of Kyushu, temperatures have dropped below minus 12 degrees Celsius, according to Weathernews. Kagoshima Prefecture is experiencing steady snowfall, with accumulations visible on grassy surfaces in the city center. Mountainous areas have seen roads turn completely white.


Snowflake

Up to 1.2m (4 feet) of snowfall in 3 days in the Alps

Austria's Kaunertal after 40cm (16
Austria's Kaunertal after 40cm (16") of snowfall on Wednesday.
The biggest snowfall of the season to date has buried much of the Alps, setting the region up for the latter half of the season.

The biggest snowfall of the season to date has buried much of the Alps, setting the region up for the latter half of the season.

Accumulations of up to 60cm (2 feet) in 24 hours were reported with Chamonix posting the biggest 72-hour total of 1.2 metres (4 feet). Fellow French resort Flaine posted 105cm (3.5 feet) whilst La Thuile, just over the Italian border, got 80cm (32"), and Switzerland's Crans Montana 70cm (28").


Cloud Precipitation

Hawaii slammed by triple threat of severe thunderstorms, blistering wind, blizzard-like snow

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A powerful storm system is pummeling Hawaii with flash flooding, damaging wind gusts, severe thunderstorms and blizzard-like conditions on the high mountain peaks. The storm has left thousands without power, roads blocked by floods and fallen trees and grounded island air traffic.

Flash Flood Warnings persisted late into Thursday evening over Honolulu and Maui. County offices in Maui were closed on Friday due to the downpours. Crews across the state worked to reopen roads that were closed due to downed trees or flooding.

The Big Island declared a State of Emergency on Thursday afternoon.

Video from Honolulu showed heavy rain and urban flooding. One Honolulu resident shared a video on social media of what looked to be a strong river that he said was normally a dry creek.


Arrow Down

Five skiers killed in French Alps avalanches

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© AFP
Five skiers were killed in two separate avalanches in the French Alps on Wednesday, local officials have confirmed.

One torrent of snow came in Val-Cenis, in the south-eastern Savoie region, killing four Norwegian skiers, while a Swiss skier died further north in the Haute-Savoie region, near Chamonix.

Three of the Norwegians were killed instantly while a fourth, a woman, died in a nearby hospital after suffering severe hypothermia and a cardiorespiratory arrest.

They were part of a larger group of seven skiers and the remaining three were unharmed.

Jacques Arnoux, mayor of Val-Cenis, told AFP each member of the group had been carrying an avalanche beacon as they were off-piste skiing.

Snowflake

Rare snow day in Joshua Tree National Park, California

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Snow in the Mojave Desert is a beautiful and rare sight. Yesterday, January 27, there was snow on the ground at Joshua Tree National Park, and the photos and videos coming from the southern California park are stunning.

The Instagram account @visit_joshuatree shared several videos of snow covering the ground and coating the famous Joshua trees. The captions say all footage was from yesterday, Monday, January 27, 2025.

"Joshua Tree National Park is in the high desert with peaks above 4000 feet elevation, so it typically gets snow once a year in January / February," says @visit_joshuatree in one of its posts. "[The park] had an especially dry year with very little rain in the last six months, so snow is a welcome sight in the park, and is a good indicator for Joshua Tree blooms and wildflowers in the spring time. Joshua Trees need a 'cold snap' to start their annual clock which then produces Joshua Tree blooms in February."

See footage from a rare snow day at Joshua Tree National Park here: