Extreme Temperatures
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Snowflake

Massive snowstorm in Japan grounds 130 flights, leaves thousands without power


Japan Times
Tue, 01 Mar 2016 18:10 UTC
Snow in Japan
© Flickr/Takeshi Kuboki
The Japan's meteorological agency reported Tuesday that the Japanese island of Hokkaido has been severed hit by snowstorm that left 4,000 households without power and grounded over 130 flights.

A powerful snowstorm that hit the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido grounded over 130 flights and led to power outages in approximately 4,000 households on Tuesday.

The country's meteorological agency recorded up to 20 inches of precipitation over the past 24 hours, with over 15 inches of snow expected by early Wednesday.

A snow cyclone is accompanied by winds reaching the speed of up to 115 feet per second. Wave heights on the island's shore exceeded 25 feet.


Comment: Today, the country's meteorology agency warned citizens to brace for the worst blizzard in years.

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Ice Cube

Global warming? Kurilskoye Lake in Kamchatka, Russia freezes for first time in 10 years


Siberian Times
Tue, 01 Mar 2016 17:48 UTC
Kronotsky State Nature Reserve
© Kronotsky State Nature ReserveKonstantin Lepsky, state inspector of the Kronotsky State Nature Reserve: 'When we patrolled the area, we walked along the lake in snowshoes for about 18 kilometres.'
With thermal waters, and the warming effect of the nearby Sea of Okhotsk, this unusual lake normally does not freeze over. But this year its famous Steller's sea eagles have been forced to relocate because the ice holes in which they catch fish have frozen over. Two weeks of calm weather and low temperatures in February - of minus 20C - shackled the surface of the lake with a thick layer of ice.

Konstantin Lepsky, state inspector of the Kronotsky State Nature Reserve, said: 'When we patrolled the area, we walked along the lake in snowshoes for about 18 kilometres.

'From the observation tower at Travyanoy we looked around the horizon in all directions. The lake was completely frozen. Only in the mouth of the River Hakytsin could we see a little ice hole, where ducks and swans were swimming, and Steller's sea eagles were spotted.'

Most of the birds were forced to relocate to Avacha Bay, near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The lake formed in a caldera after two large volcanic explosions, one 41,500 radiocarbon years ago and the other around 6440 BC.
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Snowflake Cold

Major winter storm coming Tuesday to central Canada


CBC News
Mon, 29 Feb 2016 09:00 UTC
snow storm canada
© Paul Palmeter/CBCEnvironment Canada has issued winter storm warnings for Toronto, Hamilton, Montreal and Quebec City. Many areas in southern Ontario and Quebec could see heavy snow. Driving could be treacherous.
Environment Canada says a major winter storm is expected to sweep into parts of southern Ontario and southern Quebec on Tuesday, bringing heavy snow to some areas and freezing rain elsewhere.

Toronto, Hamilton, Montreal and Quebec City are under winter storm warnings. Windsor is under a snowfall warning, while Ottawa is under a winter storm watch.

Parts of Quebec including Montreal and Quebec City could get more than 30 centimetres of snow.

Environment Canada has issued a series of winter storm warnings and watches that cover a large swath of southern Ontario and southern Quebec.

The storm, travelling north from central United States, is expected to bring snow to southern Ontario on Tuesday afternoon and southern Quebec on Tuesday evening. Snow in Quebec will intensify overnight and continue Wednesday.

Environment Canada says drivers should be prepared for messy conditions.

"There may be a significant impact on rush hour traffic in urban areas," it says.
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Attention

Green sea turtles hit by cold weather in Florida

Kristen Mitchell
Orlando Sentinel
Mon, 22 Feb 2016 15:07 UTC
Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA)
© Jim Damaske/The Tampa Bay TimesClearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) associate sea turtle biologist Brittany Workman listens to the heartbeat of a cold stunned green sea turtle while CMA senior turtle biologist Cassie Seebart tucks another cold stunned green seat turtle in to a heated recovery area Monday, Jan. 25, 2016 in Clearwater, Fla.
Juvenile green sea turtles are washing up on local beaches — dead or in distress — at an alarming rate this year, experts say.

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium has picked up more than 129 dead and 93 living sea turtles since Feb. 3, more than the total number of dead specimens collected during all of 2015.

"We've already done a year's worth of work," said Adrienne Cardwell, the aquarium's manager of sea turtles and aquatic biology programs.

Crews have been responding to calls about the stranded young turtles and patrolling Pinellas County's northern beaches for the past two weeks, searching for the aquatic reptiles as water temperatures dropped — leaving many turtles with already compromised immune systems in trouble.

Because sea turtles need external heat to regulate their body temperature, cold water can cause decreased heart rate and circulation, lethargy, shock and even death.


Comment: See also: Around 500 manatees crowd into a Florida spring to stay warm

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Sun

Sydney heatwave: City sets record for days above 26C as mercury hits 41.7C

Paul Karp
The Guardian (UK)
Thu, 25 Feb 2016 08:15 UTC
Sydney heatwave
© Jenny Evans/AAP A father and daughter at Bondi beach. The Bureau of Meteoreology forecast temperatures of 41C in Parramatta, Penrith and Richmond, with 35C in the CBD.
Sweltering day 21st consecutive day over 26C as Bureau of Meteorology predicts temperatures above 26C for the next week

Temperatures in parts of Sydney topped 40 degrees today, as the city sweated through a record streak of 21 days above 26C.

In Penrith, the temperature reached 41.7 by mid-afternoon and hovered just below into the evening.

Closer to the city it wasn't much cooler with 39.2C recorded at Sydney Olympic Park and 36.9 at the airport.

Blair Trewin of the Bureau of Meteorology told Guardian Australia the scorcher marked the 21st consecutive day of 26C or over in Sydney, a record stretch not matched at any time of year.

The next-longest streak was 19 days of temperatures above 26C in March 2014.
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Snowflake

Heavy snowfall in Akureyri, Iceland: 43 inches (110cms) of fresh snow, most in 20 years


Iceland Monitor
Wed, 24 Feb 2016 20:48 UTC
Snow in Iceland
© mbl.is/Skapti HallgrímssonBorgarbraut in the Glerárhverfi district.
The city of Akureyri in North Iceland is seeing great snow accumulation for the third year in a row. This morning, residents woke up to 110 cm of fresh snow.

Snow depth has not been greater since the winter of 1995-1996.

Our Akureyri correspondent took these photographs this morning.

Snow ploughs have a hard day's work ahead.

Snow in Iceland
© mbl.is/Skapti HallgrímssonWalking to school takes a little longer than usual.
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Ice Cube

Amazing ice: 5 stunning natural sculptures from this winter


RT
Tue, 23 Feb 2016 15:24 UTC
Frozen lake
© RadiantSpiritGallery/YouTubeLake Superior
As winter wanes and spring creeps in for much of the northern hemisphere, we checked out some impressive images of ice, particularly surrounding the world's largest - and coldest - lakes.

Whether it's ice stacking on Lake Superior in the US, car-shaped icicles in Canada, or floating blocks on Lake Baikal in Russia, mother nature has put on quite a show this season.

Lake Superior, USA

As sheets of ice crashed on the shore of the great Lake Superior in Duluth, Minnesota, they stack up like broken glass, creating a beautiful and somewhat hypnotic scene.


Lake Baikal, Siberia

With temperatures dipping to -19 degrees Celsius (-3 Fahrenheit) and strong winds, a block of ice can be seen floating across the frozen lake as though it's just off to meet another block further along.


Comment:
Shivering Al Gore
© Compeau's/2009


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Snowflake

Heavy snowfall paralyses daily life in Sivas, Turkey


cihan.com.tr
Mon, 22 Feb 2016 15:00 UTC
Heavy snowfall in Sivas, Turkey
© Turan TemelHeavy snowfall in Sivas, Turkey
Central Turkish province of Sivas, which had been witnessing spring weather conditions in the middle of the winter for a while, took heavy snowfall, paralyzing daily life across the city.

Snowfall which has begun with blizzard in the late hours continued until the morning hours of Saturday. Following the snowfall the snow has reached 50 centimeters in depth across the province. As walking on the pavement has nearly become impossible since the thick snow layer also many cars have stayed under the snow drift.

Many people, who intended to reach their working place, had difficulty while clearing their car from the snow banks. People shovel up the ways of their working place.

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Snowflake

Summer snowfall surprise for Tasmanians after a season of weather extremes


abc.net.au
Mon, 15 Feb 2016 13:22 UTC
Snow on Mount Wellington
© ABC News/ Kieran JonesWith a temperature of -2C there was a fair dusting of snow on Mount Wellington and its lookout.
Fires, flood and now snow: Tasmania has had a summer of weather extremes.

After weeks of warm and dry weather, there has been a sprinkling of snow in Tasmania's Great Lakes district and on Hobart's Mount Wellington.

The temperature dipped to zero at Liawenee in the Central Highlands overnight, with light rain turning to snow early this morning.

Kaylee Hattinger at the Great Lakes Hotel said it started snowing there about 6:00am, but it quickly melted away.

"It covered the cars, it was enough to go 'oh, snow!'," she said.

"But it's very fine, but more than hail, and fluttering down.

"I get really excited with snow, even in winter. But in summer it's even more special, I think."

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Ice Cube

Pakistan government warns the country to prepare for global cooling

Adapt 2030
Youtube
Thu, 18 Feb 2016 13:40 UTC
Heavy snow fall in Murree, Pakistan
© Sohail abbasiHeavy snow fall in Murree, Pakistan. 11.2.2016
The Pakistan Meteorological Bureau put out a lengthy 59 page report warning the citizens of Pakistan that Global cooling will begin in 2019 and there needs to be a strategy with urgent action in order for the society to cope with the changes. This is the second country to now come out and tell its citizens to prepare, Russia was first, now Pakistan.


Comment: See also: Heavy snowfall cripples life in northern Pakistan

30 leading scientists predict global cooling

Ice Age Cometh: Russian Academy of Sciences experts warn of imminent cold period: "Global warming is a marketing trick"

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