Extreme Temperatures
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Snowflake

Winter storm drops up to 3 feet of snow in Northern Arizona - creates numerous problems on roads

Dave Zorn
gcmaz.com
Sat, 08 Mar 2025 12:02 UTC
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Arizona snowstorm paralyzes Interstate 40, dumps over 2 feet of snow
Better late than never. Mother Nature brought feet of snow and travel headaches to Northern Arizona Friday.

Williams picked up two feet of snow Friday, as did Arizona Snowbowl, which received 36 inches of snow in two days. Mormon Lake, Parks and Ash Fork picked up 16 inches of snow while the Flagstaff Airport and Munds Park measured 13 inches of snow.

Downtown Flagstaff saw nine inches and Doney Park saw eight inches, although higher elevations saw more. Interstate-40 saw many slide offs and accidents in and around Williams, which left many people stranded for several hours.

There were several vehicles stranded due to an accident on Highway 89 near Grey Mountain Friday night. The National Weather Service forecasts a warming weekend into Monday, then a small storm is expected to move in Tuesday with a possible larger one Thursday.

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Snowflake

Michigan's Upper Peninsula socked with 12-hour blizzard that piled up 2 feet of snow

Tanda Gmiter
MLive
Thu, 06 Mar 2025 14:46 UTC
A Houghton-area home after the Wednesday-Thursday storm moved through.
© Brad BarnettA Houghton-area home after the Wednesday-Thursday storm moved through.
The Upper Peninsula just got socked with an early spring snowstorm and it was one of those events where the snow just kept falling ... and falling. But across one stretch of the U.P., long-lasting blizzard conditions on Wednesday and Thursday brought howling winds topping 60 mph and up to 24 inches of snow.

The National Weather Service in Marquette said that area experienced nearly 12 hours of blizzard conditions, as measured at the nearby Marquette/Sawyer Regional Airport.

The NWS Marquette office also broke a daily snowfall record on Wednesday, with 20.8 inches of snow. That topped the previous March 5 record of 15.8 inches set in 2021.

Across the area, residents and visitors have been sharing photos and videos on social media of big snow drifts against buildings, and huge snow piles lining the driveways of homes.

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Arrow Down

3 helicopter skiers presumed dead after avalanche in Alaska backcountry

Thao Nguyen
USA TODAY
Wed, 05 Mar 2025 12:24 UTC
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Three men flown by helicopter to the Alaska backcountry for a skiing trip are presumed dead after they were caught in a massive avalanche, authorities said Wednesday.

The avalanche happened Tuesday afternoon in the Chugach Mountains near Girdwood, a small resort town about 40 miles southwest of Anchorage, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety. The department said state wildlife troopers were alerted of the avalanche shortly after 5 p.m. local time.

A preliminary investigation revealed that three heli-skiers were swept away by the avalanche at around 3:30 p.m., according to the department. Guides from a commercial heli-skiing operation attempted to locate the skiers using avalanche beacons to identify their location.

The beacons estimated that the skiers were likely buried in snow between 40 feet to nearly 100 feet deep, the department said. The guides were unable to recover the skier's bodies due to the depth.
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Snowflake

Close to 50 cms (19.6 inches) of snow in March fell overnight in mountainous regions of Gangwon Province, South Korea

Lee Jung-joo
Korean Herald
Mon, 03 Mar 2025 12:53 UTC
A cafe in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, is covered in snow on Monday.
© YonhapA cafe in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, is covered in snow on Monday.
South Korea was hit by heavy rain and snow from Sunday night to Monday, causing travel disruptions and safety concerns, with more snow and rain forecast nationwide starting Tuesday morning.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, heavy snow was observed overnight in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon Province and the Chungcheong provinces.

Monday's heavy snowfall resulted in several accidents in different parts of the country, though no injuries or deaths were reported as of 11 a.m. Four reports were made to officials regarding stranded vehicles, leading to the rescue of 10 people. Eleven traffic accidents were also reported and 51 additional safety reports were made to officials regarding accumulated snow.

As of 11 a.m., 53 ferry services were canceled and 10 flights were grounded. Thirteen national parks remain closed to the public while 13 roads have been closed off to prevent further safety incidents.

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Arrow Down

Avalanche traps 42 workers under snow near India-Tibet border - 7 killed (UPDATE)


Al Jazeera
Fri, 28 Feb 2025 15:05 UTC
Rescuers carry workers after an avalanch
© State Disaster Response ForceRescuers carry workers after an avalanche near Mana village in Chamoli district of India's Uttarakhand state on February 28, 2025
More than 40 construction workers are trapped under the snow due to an avalanche near India's border with Tibet.

Blizzard-like conditions caused the avalanche on Friday at a camp near the mountain village of Mana in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand.

It initially trapped 57 workers who were clearing out snow from the camp. Fifteen of them were rescued while 42 are still missing, said Ridhim Agarwal, an official from the state's disaster relief force.

Disaster response teams are trying to reach the trapped workers at the high-altitude camp, which had been under an avalanche warning since Thursday evening, according to Indian media reports.

However, the treacherous weather is hampering their efforts, said Deepam Seth, the state's top police officer.


Comment: Update March 2

The Statesman reports:
The death toll in the Uttarakhand avalanche disaster has risen to seven after rescue teams recovered three more bodies of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) workers on Sunday.

The victims were buried under a mass of glacier and snow near Mana village, ahead of the Badrinath shrine. One worker remains missing.

According to the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Department, the three recovered bodies belonged to BRO workers trapped under the avalanche at Mana.

"The death toll of BRO workers in the Mana avalanche has reached seven, as three more bodies were discovered by rescue teams on Sunday. The deceased workers were from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh," said Vinod Suman, Secretary, State Disaster Management.

The bodies of all seven victims have been sent for post-mortem to Joshimath, and arrangements will be made to transport them to their respective hometowns.


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Snowflake

Best of the Web: Deepest snow in Japan passes 7 meters (23 feet)

Patrick Thorne
snow-forecast.com
Tue, 25 Feb 2025 13:32 UTC
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The deepest snow stat being reported from Japan has now passed 7 metres (23 feet), the deepest reported by a ski area anywhere in the world for several years.

Tengendai Kogen Ski Area near Yonezawa City in Yamagata prefecture is posting the world's deepest snow at 7.2m (nearly 24 feet). At least seven more ski areas in Aomori, Gunma, Nagano and Niigata are reporting 6m/20 feet+ bases.

Japan's seriously snowy winter 24-25, with heavy snowfall continuing this week, is thought to be in part thanks to this winter's El Niño - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate system in the Pacific.

Things started well with Niseko having the best December in 68 years. Hakuba, one of the regions posting a 6m+ base at its Happo One ski area, has had absolutely phenomenal snowfall all winter.

Pictures from Ben Thorpe of Japan Ski Experience in Niseko.


Comment: Other heavy snowfall reports for the country in February:

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Snowflake

Snow covers desert areas in Iraq

Amr Salem
Iraqinews.com
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 13:16 UTC
Snow covering large areas in Iraq
Snow covering large areas in Iraq
Iraq has been experiencing a harsh winter in recent days, with the Meteorological Organization and Seismology in the country predicting that temperatures will remain below zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) with rain and snow falling across large areas.

While snowfall in the mountainous areas of northern Iraq, such as Sulaymaniyah, seems common every year, it is rare in Anbar province in western Iraq and Kirkuk province in the country's north.

The northern outskirts and southwestern parts of Kirkuk were heavily snow-covered.

Snow also fell in Anbar province's desert areas, and footage posted on social media captured the gorgeous landscapes in various parts of the country.

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Snowflake

Snow disaster in Georgia: buses stopped in Batumi, schools and airport closed


unn.ua/en
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 11:03 UTC
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Western Georgia is suffering from heavy snowfall, with snow depths exceeding 50 cm in Batumi and about a meter in mountainous Adjara. Schools have been canceled, transportation and utilities have been disrupted.

Western Georgia continues to be covered with snow in late February. In Batumi, the snow cover has exceeded 50 cm, in mountainous Adjara it is already about a meter, UNN reports with reference to Novosti Georgia.

According to media reports, the roads that had been cleared the day before were covered with snow again in the morning.

Schools and kindergartens have been suspended in all six municipalities of Adjara: Batumi, Kobuleti, Khelvachauri, Keda, Shuahevi and Khulo, Batumelebi reports.

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Arrow Down

Heavy snowfall leading to roof collapses in parts of New York state

Lacey Leonardi
spectrumlocalnews.com
Mon, 24 Feb 2025 10:47 UTC
Heavy accumulation has caused significant damage, including the collapse of the International Wire manufacturing building in Williamstown.
Heavy accumulation has caused significant damage, including the collapse of the International Wire manufacturing building in Williamstown.
Parts of New York are still digging out from the massive snow event that dropped feet of snow in some areas. The heavy accumulation has caused significant damage, including the collapse of the International Wire manufacturing building in Williamstown.

The sheer weight of the snow was just too much for the building, causing the structure to collapse. It is just one of 26 confirmed collapses in Oswego County, according to the county office of emergency management.

Officials fear the number of building collapses could rise as snow sits and crews continue their assessments.

The Oswego County-wide state of emergency declared by the legislature remains in effect, along with a travel advisory issued by Sheriff Don Hilton. This doesn't mean travel is completely restricted.

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Cloud Precipitation

21 dead as severe rain, flooding and lows of -42C hit multiple states (UPDATE)


Sky News
Mon, 17 Feb 2025 21:55 UTC
flooding tennessee
© Associated PressWater rising along the Cumberland River in Clarksville, Tennessee.
A mother and seven-year-old child are among those who have been killed in Kentucky, where high flood waters have swept away cars.

At least 10 people, including a mother and seven-year-old child, have been killed amid harsh weather in the US. Storms and severe flooding have hit areas of Kentucky, leaving nine dead and hundreds of others in need of rescue.

Elsewhere, a person in Atlanta was killed when an "extremely large tree" fell on a home on Sunday, Atlanta Fire Rescue said.

Officials have warned the death toll is likely to rise as search and rescue efforts continue.

Kentucky governor Andy Beshear said: "This is one of the most serious weather events we've dealt with in at least a decade."


Comment: Update February 23

wkyt.com reports:
The death toll from last weekend's flooding has risen yet again.

Saturday night, Governor Andy Beshear took to social media to share that the number of people killed due to the flooding has now reached 21.

Beshear says the most recent death was a man in Logan County.

"These are our fellow Kentuckians, each one a child of God gone too soon. Please join Britainy and me as we pray for their families," Beshear wrote.


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