© Doug Greenwood
The old AT&T building collapsed due to snow load.
The old AT&T building collapsed due to snow load.
Extreme Temperatures
© Police Valais
Monday’s avalanche at ‘Stairway to Heaven’ near Nendaz, Switzerland.
Monday’s avalanche at ‘Stairway to Heaven’ near Nendaz, Switzerland.
On Wednesday, a separate, massive avalanche was triggered outside the marked tracks in the same location near the Col de Gentianes on the Nendaz side. It was between 300 and 400 meters wide and triggered an extensive search and rescue effort involving eight rescue helicopters and several search dogs. It was unclear at the time how many people may have been buried in the snow. At one stage, it was believed that up to ten skiers were in the avalanche, but apparently, all could free themselves and did not require medical assistance. Unfortunately, the extended search and rescue efforts found a Russian skier, aged 58, for whom all help came too late, and he was declared dead at the scene.
© SnowBrains
Paulina Peak, OR.
Paulina Peak, OR.
Deschutes County Sheriff's Sgt. Jason Wall told KTVZ that a person had died several hours after a call for help was received by dispatchers.
Three snowboarders had used snowmobiles to reach the area and were snowboarding down the 7,984-foot (2,433-meter) peak, located east of La Pine and the highest point on the Newberry Volcano, when the avalanche happened, according to Wall.
The snowfall today (Tuesday 14th March 2023) is more widespread than the weekend falls, with many areas further east in Italy and Switzerland as well as in Austria posting good falls down to the valley floor.
The snowfall follows a temperature spike yesterday which saw many areas see afternoon highs of +10 to +15C on lower slopes, and is expected to just last a day or so before drier weather for the rest of this week.
The weekend snowstorm brought up to 1.5 metres (five feet) of snowfall to ski areas in the northern French Alps. Avoriaz, Cervinia, La Rosiere and Tignes were among the resorts posting the biggest jumps in their upper slope base depths (at least a metre each). Avalanche danger levels have also risen to 3 (considerable) or 4 (high) on the scale to a maximum of 5.
Tignes had the deepest upper slope base in Europe, up 109cm (nearly 4 feet) compared to this time last week.
© Charles Krupa/AP
Neighbors clear their driveways in near whiteout conditions on Tuesday in East Derry, New Hamphsire.
Neighbors clear their driveways in near whiteout conditions on Tuesday in East Derry, New Hamphsire.
More than 240,000 customers across the region were without electricity as the sun went down Tuesday, including in New York, Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, according to utility tracker PowerOutage.us.
Areas from upstate New York into southern New England have reported snowfall totals of at least 2 feet since Monday night, and parts of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine could see another 6 to 12 inches through the night, according to the Weather Prediction Center.
© Scott Gaffney IG
As of today, March 13, the Lake Tahoe area is sitting at 651″ of total snowfall this season, making it the third snowiest winter in Tahoe’s recorded history.
As of today, March 13, the Lake Tahoe area is sitting at 651″ of total snowfall this season, making it the third snowiest winter in Tahoe’s recorded history.
The UCB Snow Lab has seen 651″ of snowfall this season so far.
"Another 13.2" (33.5 cm) of #snow over the last 24 hours has taken us to the third snowiest winter on record at the lab! We now have 651″ (1653 cm) from Oct 1 to present." - UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, 3/13/23
© Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort Facebook
Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort’s T-bar is almost completely gone due to how much snow has fallen on the mountain recently.
Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort’s T-bar is almost completely gone due to how much snow has fallen on the mountain recently.
Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort located near Pinecrest, CA, broke its all-time season snowfall record today on March 13 with 654″ of snow this season so far.
© Sawtooth Avalanche center
The victim was caught and carried while ascending a slope. They were buried over three feet deep. A nearby group of three riders responded to the avalanche, located the victim with a transceiver, and extricated them within 15 minutes. They performed CPR but resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the victim's friends and family. The USFS Sawtooth Avalanche Center will release additional information as it becomes available.
The avalanche danger at the time of the accident was rated CONSIDERABLE. Visit www.sawtoothavalanche.com for information on current avalanche conditions.
The fatality is the 16th avalanche-related death in the US this winter and the 28th in North America.
© SWNS
Cars have become stuck in over two foot of snow in the Peak District as mountain rescue are sent to cut off roads to help stranded motorists.
Cars have become stuck in over two foot of snow in the Peak District as mountain rescue are sent to cut off roads to help stranded motorists.
Snow and rain are expected to bring further travel disruption across large areas of Britain on Friday.
Three amber warnings for blizzard conditions with up to 40cm (15.7in) of snow were issued by the Met Office on Thursday and remain in place until Friday morning.
© Michael Peterson.
The snow devil is an rare sight.
The snow devil is an rare sight.
Michael Peterson from Sandness on the west of Shetland's mainland spotted the weather phenomenon on Tuesday afternoon.
Despite usually appearing in mountainous areas, Mr Peterson sighted it while out in his van with his wife Frances.
Comment: Usually?! Or 'very rare'? Which is it?!
According to the World Meteorological Organisation a snow devil occurs when snow is raised from the group in a whirling column.
Comment: Raised from the what?? From the dead?!
It describes the phenomenon as "very rare", and explains it is otherwise known as a "snownado".
Comment: So much for the 'cyclonic-events-are-formed-when-hot-air-meets-cold' theory.
Chalk this up to more unusual electrical activity taking place in and on the planet.
Comment: See also: Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort, California breaks all-time season snowfall record with 654 inches of snow