Extreme Temperatures
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Snowflake

Snoqualmie Pass in Washington walloped by nearly 3.5 feet of new snow in 2 days

deep snow
© WSDOT
Several recent snowstorms have brought feet of new snow to the Cascade Mountains.

According to the Dept. of Transportation, Snoqualmie Pass received 41 inches of snow (3.4 feet) in the 48 hours prior to Sunday morning.

The winter weather has made pass travel extremely difficult.

Snoqualmie Pass was closed for a period Saturday afternoon and again Sunday morning. Stevens Pass also closed Saturday. You can always check the latest pass conditions here.


Snowflake

14 die as heavy snowfall, flash floods wreak havoc in Balochistan, Pakistan - snow up to 4 feet deep

snow
Heavy snowfall and showers claimed at least 14 lives in different parts of Balochistan and suspended road and air links of the country's largest province with rest of the world on Sunday, as the unusually extreme weather system entered Pakistan.

With a strong westerly wave affecting most parts of the country, snowfall is also expected in Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir, besides heavy showers have been forecast for Islamabad as well as upper and central Punjab from Monday till Tuesday morning, according to the meteorological department.

Met officials said heavy snowfall in Quetta had already broken the 20-year record. "In Qilla Saifullah, the Met Office recorded three- to four-foot snow, which was [more than] double the usual one- to 1.5-foot snow," said Chief Meteo­rologist Dr Azmat Hayat Khan.


Snowflake Cold

At least 17 killed as extreme cold sweeps across Afghanistan

Afghan men upload recycle items on sacks during a snowfall in Kabul, Afghanistan January 12, 2020.
© REUTERS/Omar SobhaniAfghan men upload recycle items on sacks during a snowfall in Kabul, Afghanistan January 12, 2020.
A severe cold snap killed at least 17 people in Afghanistan on Saturday, government officials said, as heavy snowfall and rain continued to lash parts of the country.

Afghanistan is no stranger to extreme winter weather, during which various warring groups in the country have historically ceased hostilities, but this year has been particularly harsh, according to the country's metrological department.

The officials said the death toll could rise further, with Afghanistan's Natural Disaster Management Authority still trying to compile a total figure.

"We were not expecting such a bad cold wave in the country," Tamim Azimi, a spokesman for the Natural Disaster Management team told Reuters.


Snowflake

Snowfall hits South Sinai, Egypt

SNOW
Snowfall on Saint Catherine city in South Sinai led to an unprecedented increase in tourist occupancy rates to the city, after photos and videos circulated on social media showing people playing in the snow.

Hundreds of tourists flocked to Saint Catherine to see the snow, which began melting in the streets on Saturday but continued on in the mountain tops.

The head of the municipality council of the city, Talaat al-Anani, said that all roads are open and that this snow has brought great exhilaration to the city.


Comment: The same extreme cold weather with accompanying rare or exceptionally heavy snowfall has also been reported recently from other countries in the same general region:

Videos of snowfall in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

Lebanon:







Jordan:





Algeria:





Airplane

More than 1,000 Chicago flights canceled due to severe winter weather

planes
As winter weather begins to descend upon Chicago with rain, sleet and snow, more than 1,000 flights have been canceled in and out of Chicago, according to the flight tracking service FlightAware.

As of 12:50 p.m. CT, 1,039 flights to and from Chicago O'Hare International Airport, big hubs for American and United airlines, had been canceled. At crosstown airport Chicago Midway International Airport, a big hub for Southwest Airlines, nearly 90 flights were canceled.

The National Weather Service tweeted about the severe conditions in Chicago on Saturday.


Snowflake

Heavy snowfall in Turkey - 150 village roads closed

snow
While the thickness of snow in Sivas exceeded one meter (more than 3 ft), the streets became white throughout the country. Schools in Eskisehir closed due to snow.

Snowfall in many cities caused difficulties for citizens. In Ankara, the streets and streets are completely white. The snow thickness has reached 10 centimeters, especially in high sections. Snowfall in the provinces caused disruption of transportation.


Snowflake

39 tourists trapped for hours on Iceland glacier during blizzard

BLIZAERD
Iceland search crews have rescued more than three dozen snowmobiling tourists from a large glacier, after they became trapped during a snowstorm, authorities said.

Thirty-nine in the snowmobiling group were on the Langjokull glacier Tuesday when the storm abruptly moved in. Weather officials, however, said storm warnings were issued for the area before the snowmobile group arrived.

Hundreds of rescuers and dozens of vehicles were dispatched to the glacier to search for the group, officials said. Despite blizzard conditions, they were ultimately located. All 39 tourists were taken to safety early Wednesday morning.


Snowflake

Snow falls on Mauna Kea, Hawaii

SNOW
© W. M. Keck Observatory
Surveillance images captured snow on Maunakea.

The W.M. Keck Observatory posted images of snow on Facebook Thursday morning. According to the National Weather Service, snow showers for the summit are predicted for the rest of the week.


Arrow Down

Third body found buried by avalanche at Silver Mountain ski resort in Idaho

In this Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020, photo provided by KHQ, the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department K-9 Team responds to Silver Mountain for an avalanche in Kellogg, Idaho.
In this Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020, photo provided by KHQ, the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department K-9 Team responds to Silver Mountain for an avalanche in Kellogg, Idaho.
Buried under about 10 feet of snow after an avalanche this week at an Idaho ski resort, Bill Fuzak made peace with his predicament and prepared for death.

"I had already relegated myself to the inevitable as I knew the air would not last long,'' Fuzak, 62, wrote on a public Facebook page for skiers. "I'm really surprised how calm I felt but knew there was nothing I could do but wait and pray.''

His prayers were answered. Fuzak became one of five survivors extricated from Tuesday's avalanche at the Silver Mountain Resort near Kellogg, Idaho. Two other skiers were killed, and the body of a third skier was recovered on Thursday. The resort remained closed Thursday.


Snowflake

Videos of snowfall in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

Two men camp out by a fire in Tabuk during the snow.
Two men camp out by a fire in Tabuk during the snow.
Social media users flooded Twitter on Friday morning with pictures and videos of snow in Tabuk, a northwestern city in Saudi Arabia close to the border with Jordan.

Shaher Bin Atiyah posted a video on Twitter of huge layers of snow covering trees in Tabuk.