Extreme Temperatures
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Snowflake

Huge spring snow dump of 31 inches in 3 days at Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand


Scoop
Sat, 09 Sep 2017 13:24 UTC
Mt Ruapehu has experienced a huge snow dump
Mt Ruapehu has experienced a huge snow dump
Winter's back up the mountain

Mt Ruapehu's Turoa and Whakapapa ski fields are both blanketed in snow thanks to around 80cm of fresh snow fall over the last three days. Snow fell as low as Chateau Tongariro in Whakapapa Village & large snowdrifts have buried ski racks next to the Knoll Ridge cafe up at the Whakapapa Ski Area.

The Turoa & Whakapapa operations teams have been working hard in blizzard conditions over the last few days, clearing snow and de-icing lift facilities.

Mt Ruapehu Marketing Manager Matt McIvor says, "We've had heavy snowfall to increase our snow bases which should make for epic skiing and snowboarding this spring season, which for us goes right until late October. While our new snowmaking machines are doing a superb job, a helping hand by Mother Nature is always welcomed."

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Snowflake

Fresh spring snowfall closes roads and schools across Tasmania, Australia

Harriet Aird
abc.net.au
Fri, 08 Sep 2017 13:25 UTC
The snow has taken its toll on sheep farmers, coming during lambing season.
© Rhiannon ShineThe snow has taken its toll on sheep farmers, coming during lambing season.
Continued snowfall in Tasmania has forced the closure of a number of schools and roads across the state.

The weather bureau said the snow came after a front crossing the state brought very cold south-westerly air behind it.

On Friday morning, snow was falling as low as 200 metres, adding to already significant levels of settled snow in parts of the west, Central Plateau and far south.

The Education Department closed government schools in Collinsvale, Franklin, Geeveston and Huonville.

Forecaster Debbie Tabor told ABC Radio Hobart the snow was expected to continue throughout the day.

"We've got snow to around 200 metres, it's only very slowly retreating to around 500 metres this evening," she said.

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Snowflake

Over 3 feet of spring snowfall and counting: It's dumping in Australia


TransWorld Snowboarding
Wed, 06 Sep 2017 14:51 UTC
All this snow is opening up new options to stomp
© Richard PhillipsAll this snow is opening up new options to stomp
As we celebrate the last days of our North American summer, Mother Nature is showing no signs of slowing up winter in the Southern Hemisphere, even though they're already seven days into spring.

In the past week, it's dumped over three feet of sweet white fluffy stuff at Perisher Resort in Australia.

Temperatures have been brisk and sitting below zero, helping to make this snow extra cold and light; perfect for faceshots, pow slashes, and big sends.

Perisher is experiencing one of the best seasons they've had in the past five years. When this storm is all said and done, it could break a few records in terms of snow depth.

This recent snowfall is the icing on top of the other storms they've had this season, as over six feet of powder has falling in August alone.


Comment: See also: Australia shivers through coldest start to September EVER: Freezing weather and record Spring snowfall turns coastal towns white

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Snowflake

Georgia gets its first snowfall three months before the start of winter


Agenda.Ge
Thu, 07 Sep 2017 14:26 UTC
Tetnuldi is the newest ski resort in Georgia
© Nick PhalianiTetnuldi is the newest ski resort in Georgia
The newest of Georgia's winter resorts, Tetnuldi in Svaneti region in the western part of the country, has experienced its very first snowfall this year today even though winter is almost three months away.

The first snowfall at Tetnuldi has been described as a light dusting and is believed not to last long, but in the coolest months snowfall can be very high and can reach several metres.

Weather experts forecast slushy snow may fall in other mountainous regions of Georgia in the coming days, but despite this, citizens are being advised not to dig out their winter coats just yet as daytime temperatures around the country are set to rise.
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Snowflake Cold

Australia shivers through coldest start to September EVER: Freezing weather and record Spring snowfall turns coastal towns white

Josh Hanrahan
Daily Mail
Wed, 06 Sep 2017 14:50 UTC
A massive dump of snow led to one home being 'snowed in', with this incredible photo showing the severity of the snowfall
A massive dump of snow led to one home being 'snowed in', with this incredible photo showing the severity of the snowfall
As the calendar flips over to Spring much of the nation prepares for warm weather in the knowledge summer is not far away - but not Victoria.

While Winter may have come and gone for almost every other state, the mainland's south-east has been lashed by massive amounts of snowfall in the past 24 hours.

But while it's not unusual for a blanketing to hit mountain areas this time of year, the chilly temperatures have seen coastal towns such as Lorne and Apollo Bay turned to white and some homes incredibly 'snowed-in'.

Incredible images posted to social media show the thickness of snow which covered parts of the state on Tuesday.

Towns at sea level turned white with alpine areas receiving up to 30 centimetres and the temperature dropping to as low as -7.5 degrees.

The cold snap caught out two men who found themselves stuck in their vehicle high in the alps for three days before being rescued by the Victorian SES.

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Info

Do solar storms lead to beached whales?

Michael Lucy
Cosmos Magazine
Wed, 06 Sep 2017 06:00 UTC
Beached Whales
© Dan Kitwood/GettySperm whales stranded at Skegness on England's North Sea coast in January 2016.
In early 2016 a spate of sperm whale strandings in the North Sea perplexed scientists. Many theories were proposed for why 29 of the huge marine mammals - all males, most relatively young - died on European beaches in the course of January and the first few days of February, ranging from poisoning by pollutants to climate-change-induced dislocation.

According to a paper published in the International Journal of Astrobiology, however, the real cause was not human activity of any sort - it wasn't even on Earth.

Instead, the authors propose that solar storms threw off the navigation systems of the whales and led them to become lost and stranded. Solar storms, caused by ejections of charged particles from the Sun, disrupt the Earth's magnetic field, especially near the poles, where they are also responsible for producing auroras.

Lead author Klaus Heinrich Vanselow of Christian-Albrechts-Universität in Kiel, Germany, had earlier found correlations between solar activity and recorded numbers of North Sea sperm whale strandings over several centuries of historical records. The new study is the first to connect specific strandings to specific solar activity, however.
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Cloud Precipitation

Unusual clouds and strange early snowfall begins in North America

Adapt 2030
You Tube
Mon, 04 Sep 2017 14:43 UTC
When life hands you snow, make a snowman
© Mervin McDonaldWhen life hands you snow, make a snowman
Early snows are already starting across North America August 31st snows in New Hampshire, Labrador & Quebec Canada and unidentifiable cloud formations over Georgia, USA. Solutions to expensive installation costs for greenhouses, lets look at what rural Chinese farmers are doing in cold climates.

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Sun

Despite historically wet winter, Oregon moving toward drought

Lauren E Hernandez
Statesman Journal
Sat, 02 Sep 2017 19:47 UTC
Oregon heat wave
© MOLLY J. SMITH / Statesman JournalBoats on the Willamette River on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017, near Salem's Riverfront Park. The high for Saturday was forecast for 104 degrees; the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory lasting until Tuesday.
Salem recorded its hottest August temperatures since records started being kept in 1893.

The five warmest Augusts have taken place in the last five years, said David Elson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service - Portland.

"It's pretty clear that something is going on that we are changing our climate," said Kathie Dello, deputy director of the Oregon Climate Service at Oregon State University. "We're seeing climate change impacts already and we need to think about resiliency toward these 100-degree days."

The hot, dry conditions in the Mid-Willamette Valley are a result of a persistent pattern of the growing drier conditions and lack of rain.

Salem recorded just .15 inch of rain on August 13 - the only day there was precipitation in August.

Average rainfall for Salem in August is .45 inches.

The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory that will remain in effect until 10 p.m. Tuesday. Temperatures are expected to creep into the high 90s on Sunday, hover around 100 degrees on Monday and may reach 103 degrees on Tuesday.

"Normal temperatures would be around 80 degrees around this time of year," Elson said. "We'll be in the ballpark for record temperatures in the next few days."

Oregon is abnormally dry and on the cusp of drought conditions, according to the National Drought Mitigation Center.
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Snowflake

Snow recorded on August 31st at Laurentides Wildlife Reserve, Quebec


The Sherbrooke Times
Fri, 01 Sep 2017 12:53 UTC
Snow
© XtremChaseQuebecSnow in Quebec
The fall seems to be in a hurry to settle in Quebec, while some regions have already experienced, in the night from Thursday to Friday, their first fall of snow, particularly in the Laurentides wildlife Reserve.

A few flakes fell on the road 175 as evidenced by the images captured by the hunter of storms Mathieu Bordage on the approach of the Stage, half-way between the Quebec region and the Saguenay - Lac-Saint-Jean.

In the morning, the mercury ranged between 1 and 3 degrees, resulting in some snow showers, without, however, that it accumulates on the ground. A white carpet was still visible on vegetation.

"This is not common, but this is not abnormal either, it is already seen. The month of September, it is autumn that is settling and we have less sun so the temperature difference increases between the nights become quite cold, and the days remain comfortable," said Amélie Bertrand, meteorologist at Environment Canada.

In such conditions, the mountainous terrain are more likely to receive a few flakes.

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Snowflake

Snow already! Mount Washington in New Hampshire gets its first taste of winter


nh1.com
Fri, 01 Sep 2017 12:11 UTC
It's a beautiful, but chilly start to the day on the summit of Mount Washington!
© Mount Washington ObservatoryIt's a beautiful, but chilly start to the day on the summit of Mount Washington!
The Mount Washington Observatory has recorded snowfall on top of Mount Washington on Friday!

According to the observatory's Facebook page, the snow was brought in by 25 degree temperatures and hurricane force winds.

The first taste of winter brings mixed reviews from residents and tourists. Some can't wait to strap on their ski gear, others are cherishing the warm weather while it lasts.

Officials from the observatory say the first recorded snowfall usually comes toward the end of September, but snow this early is not uncommon. In fact, snow has fallen on the summit every month of the year at some point.

Between mid-July to early August, the temperatures on the summit are usually around 49 degrees.

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