Extreme Temperatures
S


Snowflake

Ski Portillo, Chile, has surpassed its average yearly snowfall and it isn't even open yet

Hard at work to get the mountain open.
© Ski PortilloHard at work to get the mountain open.
The fantastic early season continues in South America with many resorts reporting record snowfall. Multiple storms have blanketed resorts in Chile and Argentina helping some areas open two to three weeks earlier than normal. Usually, the ski season in South America lasts from June to September, but because of the large amounts of snowfall, this season is expected to last until mid to late October.

Incredibly, one resort has already surpassed its yearly average for an entire season and it hasn't even opened yet. That resort is Ski Portillo which has been blanketed with 224 inches of snowfall this season, far surpassing its seasonal average of 200 inches. For those counting that is 19 feet of snow that hasn't even been touched except for maybe some lucky ski patrollers.

Comment: Too much early snow delays South American ski area opening dates - 19 FEET of snowfall for the season already


Arrow Down

Avalanches leave dozens isolated in multiple Chilean towns

Multiple avalanches have left dozens of people trapped in Chile.
Multiple avalanches have left dozens of people trapped in Chile.
Several avalanches have left at least 62 people stranded in two small towns and a ski center in central Chile's Maipo province. According to Reuters, a heavy amount of snow and rain has lead to a blanketing of avalanches throughout the mountainous region on Monday, June 24.

At the Lagunillas Ski Center, 33 people, including eight children, were trapped by the slides. Chilean national police officer Lieutenant Colonel Bernardo Leiva reports that food had been brought to those individuals, and that nobody was injured.

Meanwhile, a second avalanche blocking a mountain access road has left nine people stuck in the town of Banos Morales and 20 people stuck in the town of Lo Valdes. 33 feet (10 meters) of snow has built up along the roads following the avalanches.


Comment: Related: Too much early snow delays South American ski area opening dates - 19 FEET of snowfall for the season already


Yoda

Three top atmospheric scientists say Net Zero will prevent almost zero warming

William Happer atmosperic scientist
© Gage Skidmore/flickrWilliam Happer is a Princeton atmospheric scientist who is doubtful of the dangers of climate change
Recent calculations by the distinguished atmospheric scientists Richard Lindzen, William Happer and William van Wijngaarden suggest that if the entire world eliminated net carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 it would avert warming of an almost unmeasurable 0.07°C. Even assuming the climate modelled feedbacks and temperature opinions of the politicised Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the rise would be only 0.28°C. Year Zero would have been achieved along with the destruction of economic and social life for eight billion people on Planet Earth. "It would be hard to find a better example of a policy of all pain and no gain," note the scientists.

In the U.K., the current General Election is almost certain to be won by a party that is committed to outright warfare on hydrocarbons. The Labour party will attempt to 'decarbonise' the electricity grid by the end of the decade without any realistic instant backup for unreliable wind and solar except oil and gas. Britain is sitting on huge reserves of hydrocarbons but new exploration is to be banned. It is hard to think of a more ruinous energy policy, but the Conservative governing party is little better. Led by the hapless May, a woman over-promoted since her time running the education committee on Merton Council, through to Buffo Boris and Washed-Out Rishi, its leaders have drunk the eco Kool-Aid fed to them by the likes of Roger Hallam, Extinction Rebellion and the Swedish Doom Goblin. Adding to the mix in the new Parliament will be a likely 200 new 'Labour' recruits with university degrees in buggerallology and CVs full of parasitical non-jobs in the public sector.

Comment:


Snowflake

Best of the Web: Too much early snow delays South American ski area opening dates - 19 FEET of snowfall for the season already

Valle Nevado
Valle Nevado
Remember the 2022-2023 ski season in North America? Of course you do. The endless powder days, Mammoth Mountain's absurd late-season campaign—it's pretty impossible to forget.

Now, South America is getting its own taste of what could become a mythically deep ski season.

PowderQuest, a guiding company that operates in South America, among other locales, reported yesterday that Ski Portillo, Chile, and Las Leñas, Argentina, had both delayed their official opening dates due to excessive snowfall causing road closures and high avalanche danger.

Thanks to the snowfall earlier this month, Portillo opened earlier than usual, offering skiing and riding on a weekends-only basis throughout June. They managed to open June 1st and June 2nd with stellar conditions, but the back-to-back storms prevented the rest of the pre-season dates.


Snowflake

It's almost summer, but that didn't stop the snow from falling in western Canada

mmmmmm
A June snowfall might be a shock to some, but its not all bad news. The Weather Network's Connor O'Donovan has more.


Snowflake

June blizzard blankets U.S. northwest peaks

mmmmmmm

Fresh snow is expected to fall from Oregon to Montana

While many Americans are cementing their plans for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, mountain peaks across the northwest are sporting a fresh coat of white.

Timberline Lodge, located on Mt. Hood, Oregon, reported a whopping seven inches of fresh snow had fallen by Sunday, June 16th, 2024. Check out photos captured on the resort's webcams below.

Timberline Lodge is the only ski resort still open for lift-served sliding in North America after Arapahoe Basin ended their season yesterday, June 16th, 2024.

mmmmmmm

Snowflake

More huge snowfalls in South America - nearly 4 feet in 24 hours

Chile's Portillo has received 113cm (nearly 4 feet) of snowfall in the past 24 hours.
Chile's Portillo has received 113cm (nearly 4 feet) of snowfall in the past 24 hours.
Whilst recently opened ski areas in Australia and New Zealand struggle for snow cover, across the Pacific resorts in Argentina and Chile are reporting more huge snowfalls, with some receiving over a metre (nearly 4 feet) in 24 hours.

The latest falls in the Andes and other mountainous parts of the region are just the latest in what has now been months of cold and snowy weather which means some centres have already seen over 3m (10 feet) of snowfall a week before the season was due to begin, next weekend.

It means its already had more snowfall a week before the season begins than it has received in total in some recent poor snowfall seasons. Because of all the snowfall though, most resorts in the region have open anything between two and five weeks early for the season.


Snowflake

It is snowing in Slovenia in June

nnnnnn
A cold front crossed Slovenia today, which brought lower temperatures, but also, as forecast by meteorologists, June snow in higher areas.

"Winter in the hills hasn't said goodbye yet. It is snowing at the highest meteorological station in Kredarica.

"Snowman was formed from the new wet snow, which will grace the meteorological camera in the next few days," wrote the meteorologists of the Slovenian Environmental Agency of the RS (Arso) on the social network X.

Despite heavy rainfall and a gloomy start to the week, tomorrow, according to the announcements, it will be sunny in this country, with significantly higher temperatures.


Snowflake

Fonna ski resort in Norway sees over 3 feet of fresh summer snow

mmmmmm
Not all Norwegian summer ski areas are created equal, and while Fonna near the Hardangerfjord is having a fantastic season with record snowfalls, Stryn Sommer Ski has announced the resort will be closing early. Stryn's last day for the 2024 season will be this Sunday, June 16, as the warm temperatures have melted too much of the resort's snow.
"The last day for the 2024 season will be Sunday 16 June. After a long and gloomy spring, the fresh snow and cold came a bit late. We hope that many will still have the opportunity to take a trip to Stryn. We still have good terrain park offerings and freeride areas in the resort."

— Stryn Facebook

Snowflake

Big summer snowfall in the Alps

mmmmm
Winter has returned to the high Alps with ski areas reporting up to 20cm (8″) of snowfall above 2,500m in the last 24 hours.

Resorts benefiting from the snow include Hintertux in Austria's Tirol region which is open for skiing year round, pictured this morning.

Other centres still open since last autumn include Zermatt in Switzerland (ski area also accessible from Cervinia in Italy), Les 2 Alpes in France and a second Austrian ski area, Molltal, which closes this coming weekend after an 8 month season.

Two other centres have opened for summer skiing in the past week, Val d'Isere in France and Passo Stelvio in Italy. Tignes is expected to open for summer skiing later this month.

The latest snowfall; comes a fortnight after a similar accumulation a fortnight ago at the end of may and there have been lighter snow showers in between. The snow is lying up to 5 metres deep in the Alps making this currently looking likely to be one of the best summer ski seasons of recent years.