Extreme Temperatures
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Snowflake Cold

States of emergency declared in many parts of Bulgaria, snowdrifts of five meters (16 feet) reported

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Road blocked by snow in Bulgaria
A man froze to death in Kardzhali and 40 people were stranded on Belmeken 3-meter drifts.

Third day continues with disastrous conditions after heavy snowfall.

Rescuers found frozen to a bus stop 65-year-old Sabahattin Azis of Krumovgrad Gorna tower, BNR reported.

The man came out of his home on Friday night, when the abundant snowfall began. After not returning the next day, neighbors organized a search in the area, but because of the deep drifts failed to find him. The man's body was found today in a clearing in the road.


Snowflake Cold

50 settlements cut off in Bulgaria, roads blocked by huge snowdrifts, electricity supply disrupted

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© ReutersThe situation in Smolyan
More than 50 settlements in the Plovdiv region are without electricity and water. Snowfall continues.

The situation remains tense and critical in the country, especially for the regions of Smolyan, Kardzhali, Haskovo, Pazardzhik, Plovdiv. say authorities.

The roads are impassable due to fallen trees, making it difficult for cleaning machines and the normal functioning of the roads.

Laki is in distress for a second day, with thousands of families in the mining town without electricity, says Nova TV.


Snowflake

New world record for single-day snowfall? 78 inches (198 cm) reported in Capracotta, southern Italy

Snow record Italy
© L'Italo-AmericanoSnow prevented people from leaving their houses during the day
In Molise, it has been snowing for almost two days and the situation became critical in Campobasso, where this morning the snow first reached 16 inches and later on the day 19 inches. In areas above 1000 meters, snow accumulations reach beyond 39 inches. At the end of the day, reports say the village of Capracotta had been covered by 78 inches of snow.

Capracotta is a tiny village in the Isernia area, with less than a thousand people. It is known that the first traces of human presence date back to the Paleolithic age, with some remains of the Neanderthal man whereas the first settlements come from the 11th century.

The name comes from Longobards who used to sacrifice a goat to honor their Thor god.


Record snow in Abruzzo, 5 and March 6, 2015

Comment: The previous 'official' world record for most snow measured in 24 hours was 75.8 inches (193 cm) in Silver Lake, Colorado, over the night of April 14-15, 1921.

However, this article translated from Italian by iceagenow.info cites a 1961 meteorologist report that this was not the largest snow fall in the area:
But surely between Abruzzo and Molise it has snowed more than this many times. The great meteorologist Edmondo Bernacca wrote in the Italian Meteorological Magazine of December 1961 that in Roccacaramanico, in the municipality of Sant'Eufemia, just 878 meters above sea level in the province of Pescara, fell 365cm (11.92 ft) of snow in 24 hours.



Snowflake

World record snowfall set in Italy?

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Snow in Abruzzo
Italian website says "yes," but official measurements are needed.

"The latest updates of the dramatic situation that occurred in Abruzzo and Molise are clear," says this Italian website. "But official measurements are needed!"

In Capracotta, Isernia, more than 2 meters of snow fell in 24 hours, compared to the historical 193 cm in 24 hours measured in 1921 in Silver Lake, Colorado.

The Capracotta phenomenon occurred between yesterday afternoon and tonight, so with a duration of just 16-17 hours, it could set a real world record of intensity!

Snowflake

10 feet of snow falls in Majella, Italy

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Snow in Abruzzo
So much snow that chairlifts are buried.

Bad weather in Abruzzo has brought exceptional accumulations of snow to the Apennines, with the Majella the most affected.

It snowed nearly three meters on Majella, on the Passolanciano-Maielletta site at 1,350meters.

Accumulations are even more significant at a higher altitude.

In one of the photos, you can see the chairlift submerged in an exceptional white blanket.

With so much snow, all ski resorts in the region plan to remain open long.

See photos and video:

Thanks to Argiris Diamantis for this link


Snowflake Cold

Balkans blizzards trigger landslides, leave thousands without power

bosnia snowfall
A blizzard which dumped 2.5 meters (8 feet) of snow on mountains around Sarajevo has isolated dozens of Bosnian mountain villages and left them without electricity.
A man was killed in Bosnia and more than 100,000 homes across the Balkans were without electricity on Friday after blizzards brought down power lines and triggered landslides.

The Bosnian died when a tree, dislodged by a landslide, fell on his car near the central town of Zepce.

Dozens of motorists in southwest Bosnia were stranded by the snowstorm, which began on Thursday.

Authorities said more than 50,000 households were without power in Bosnia and over 30,000 in Serbia. Many in Bosnia were also without running water because electricity was cut to pumping stations.

"Teams are out in the field; they are facing heavy and wet snow and have to constantly remove broken trees that damaged power lines," Milovan Glisic, a Serbian electricity official, told Reuters.

Snowflake Cold

Detroit, Michigan breaks 114-year old cold weather record

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© CBS
According to the National Weather Service, the low temperature Friday morning was zero degrees, breaking the old record of 2 degrees set in 1901.

It's one of many cold weather records we've broken this winter, according Accuweather Meteorologist Brian Thompson.

"It's the sixth record low that we've hit this year and most of them have occurred in the last few weeks," he said.

It's not going to get much warmer Friday, with highs barely reaching 20 degrees. But don't worry, temperatures will finally feel a little more like normal this weekend, with highs in the 40s and mainly sunny skies.

Here's the local forecast from the CBS Detroit weather team:

Friday: A mix of clouds and sun. High 24F. Low 19F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.

Saturday: Cloudy with snow showers mainly during the morning. High 39F. Low 28F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 40%.

Sunday: Intervals of clouds and sunshine. A few flurries or snow showers possible. High around 40F. Low 27F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.

Monday: Sun and a few passing clouds. High 43F. Low 29F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.

Snowflake Cold

Indian Air Force rescues 220 civilians trapped by heavy snowfall in Kashmir

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Snowfall in Kashmir
Indian military said Thursday that Indian Air Force (IAF) rescued 220 civilians including women and children trapped in a remote snowbound area of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

The people, according to spokesman, were stranded in snowbound villages of Navpachchi and Sondar of Kishtwar district, around 275 km northeast of Jammu city, the winter capital of Indian- controlled Kashmir. "The Indian Air Force (IAF) airlifted as many as 220 people trapped in snow hit Kishtwar district on Wednesday," Indian military spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said.

"Braving piercing snow waves, and extreme cold conditions, IAF' s MI-17 Chopper in assistance with the local administration airlifted these people from the villages."

The villagers were stranded in these villages for past several days, following a heavy snowfall that cut off the road links to the area.



Snowflake Cold

Massive snowfall in mid-Atlantic states

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Snow covered much of West Virginia Thursday.
Hundreds of thousands without power - Ice shutting down roads from Virginia to Mississippi to Louisiana to Alabama - D.C. government offices shut down - Almost no mention on national media.

A storm system will continue to blast areas from Texas to New York with widespread snow and flooding rain through Thursday, says accuweather.com.

"Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour will occur at times from south of New York City to Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia," AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.

Some 40,000 customers are without power in West Virginia and at least 19,000 in Ohio, where snow is hindering restoration efforts in some areas.


Binoculars

Flocks of rare bohemian waxwing seen in New Hampshire

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© Wikimedia Commons/Andreas TrepteBohemian waxwing

An irregular visitor in winter from the far north, several flocks of Bohemian waxwings have been spotted in the Granite State this past week.

Slightly larger than a cedar waxwing, with a reddish brown under its tail, Bohemian waxwings only come as far south as states which border Canada.

Sightings during the past week included: a flock of 75 near the library in Strafford on Feb. 25 and again on March 1; a flock of over 80 behind Stan's Auto Service Center in Conway on the 26th; a flock of 12 in Hart's Location on the 27th; a flock of over 150 near the traffic circle in New London on the 27th and a flock of 209 in the same area on March 1.

Also, a flock of 40 was seen along Route 106 near Sam's Club in Concord on Feb. 28; a flock of 50 along Winona Road in New Hampton on March 1, and a flock of 45 in Hanover on March 2.

These flocks were seen mainly foraging on ornamental fruit tress, or resting nearby.