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Mon, 20 Mar 2023
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Tornado2

At least 13 people are dead as severe storms bring tornadoes and flooding to southern US, now sweeps across northeast

Elizabeth Wolfe, Rob Shackelford and Alaa Elassar
CNN
Sat, 04 Mar 2023 12:51 UTC
The roof of the La Azteca grocery store in Little
© Tom Fox/AP
The roof of the La Azteca grocery store in Little Elm, Texas, peeled off and landed on a half dozen vehicles parked outside on March 2, 2023
At least 13 people have died in multiple states due to severe weather across the country as a powerful storm system that brought golf ball-sized hail and tornadoes to the South continues to march Saturday across the Northeast.

The storm spurred wind gusts strong enough to topple tractor-trailer trucks, leaving more than 1 million people without power and threatening to bring more torrential rain, tornadoes and heavy snow.

The storm system is the same that dumped feet of snow across parts of California, leaving some trapped in their homes with snow piled as high as second-story windows and prompting the governor to declare a state of emergency in 13 counties. Many of those affected are now bracing for another round of snow and rain on Saturday from a new system.

At least five Kentuckians have died in connection with the severe weather that hit the area Friday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said during a news briefing on Saturday.

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Snowflake

Latest winter storm breaks snow records in northern Arizona - 31 inches in a day in Flagstaff

Kye Graves
eu.azcentral.com
Fri, 03 Mar 2023 13:11 UTC
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Northern Arizonans could revel in a much-anticipated break Friday from winter storms that were nothing short of record-breaking.

During the past few weeks, Arizona's high country experienced storms from a 'memorable' wind event to surpassing the month of March's average snowfall on its first calendar day, here are some notable highlights.

Flagstaff sets second-highest snowfall total through March 1

From July 1 through March 1, the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport received just over 140 inches of snow, the second-highest total recorded through the time period since it began collecting data 101 years ago.


Comment: View video: Arizona desert covered in snow as winter storm brings plummeting temperatures

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Snowflake

Rare heavy snow falls on Maunakea, Hawaii - 10 feet snowdrifts

Nathan Christophel
Bigislandnow.com
Thu, 02 Mar 2023 12:36 UTC
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Dennis Patterson's job at the W.M. Keck Observatory atop 13,803-foot Maunakea primarily focuses on caring for and maintaining the observatory's cameras and spectrometers. But the recent winter weather has given him another purpose during his four days a week at the summit: shoveling snow.

The Big Island was drenched with rain by two Kona Lows in the middle of February. But at the high elevations, the storms also produced more than a foot of snow, including 10-foot drifts in some places on Maunakea.

"I was still shoveling up there Saturday," said Patterson, who is used to the white stuff having lived in Colorado and Utah. "This last storm was pretty epic. We still haven't been able to open the domes for the last 12 or 13 nights due to ice and snow buildup."

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Snowflake Cold

Arizona desert covered in snow as winter storm brings plummeting temperatures


Independent (UK)
Fri, 03 Mar 2023 12:24 UTC
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Stunning footage shows snow covering parts of the Arizona desert after a strong cold front brought plummeting temperatures overnight Wednesday (1 March).

Videos shared by Brandon Zavala show a blanket of snow covering the desert landscape on Thursday in Yucca, about 150 miles northwest of Phoenix, in Mohave County.

Yucca was under a winter storm warning until 5 am Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service and numerous roads across the state were closed on Wednesday night due to adverse weather.

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Arrow Down

'The Last of Us' - Global Warming Zombies

Eric Worrall
Watts Up with That
Wed, 01 Mar 2023 22:41 UTC
The Last of Us
© HBO
You know it had to happen - but the one scene explaining the problem was caused by global warming is entertaining nonsense.
The fungus zombies in The Last of Us are fictional, but real fungi can infect people, and they're becoming more resistant

Published: February 24, 2023 8.32am AEDT

Gerry Wright
Professor of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University

Many of the people watching The Last of Us are likely there for the zombies.

I love the zombies too, but I'm really there for the fungus.

I've been studying fungi since my PhD work in the 1980s, and I grow more fascinated by these amazing organisms with every passing year.

In the HBO series and the video game that inspired it, a parasitic fungus — a fictitious mutation of the very real cordyceps — jumps from insects to humans and quickly spreads around the world, rendering its victims helpless to control their thoughts and actions. Far-fetched fungal fear-mongering? It's definitely fictional, but maybe not as preposterous as it might seem.

...

Read more: https://theconversation.com/the-fungus-zombies-in-the-last-of-us-are-fictional-but-real-fungi-can-infect-people-and-theyre-becoming-more-resistant-200224
There is a grain of truth in their yarn. Cordyceps infects mostly insects, taking control of their actions and causing them to help the fungus complete its reproductive cycle - finally sprouting through the body of the insect. Don't click the link unless you have a strong stomach.
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Snowflake

Yosemite National Park breaks decades-old snowfall record, closing park indefinitely - snow 15 FEET deep after recent storms

Grace Toohey
Los Angeles Times
Wed, 01 Mar 2023 20:11 UTC
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Cabin roofs at Yosemite National Park are almost completely covered with snow. At the park's Badger Pass ski area, snow is up to the second floor of the lodge. In the Yosemite Valley, snow accumulation broke a 54-year-old daily record — by multiple inches.

The historic snowfall in the Sierra Nevada from back-to-back winter storms has closed the world-famous park indefinitely while rangers and park staffers work to respond to the epic snowpack.

"In all of my years here, this is the most snow that I've ever seen at one time," said Scott Gediman, a spokesperson for Yosemite and ranger for 27 years. "This is the most any of us have ever seen."

The park known for its impressive granite formations and stunning waterfalls initially announced Saturday it would close because of severe winter weather, with plans to reopen by Thursday. But after additional snowfall though early Wednesday, officials for the national park announced it would remain closed, without a specific date to reopen.


Comment: Fresh heavy snow dumped in California - 3 FEET in a day, 4.3 FEET in 2 days at Soda Springs

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Snowflake Cold

Fresh heavy snow dumped in California - 3 FEET in a day, 4.3 FEET in 2 days at Soda Springs

Robert Shackelford, Aya Elamroussi
CNN
Wed, 01 Mar 2023 12:23 UTC
Residents of Soda Springs, California, are dealing with an estimated 36 feet of snowfall this winter, with more predicted on the way.

Residents of Soda Springs, California, are dealing with an estimated 36 feet of snowfall this winter, with more predicted on the way.
A string of back-to-back winter storms have lashed the West this week, delivering blizzard conditions and heavy snowfall to many areas in California.

The days long brutal conditions left many stranded, shut down highways, knocked out power to thousands of homes and buried roads in snow as communities ran low on supplies.

Last week, the National Weather Service in Los Angeles issued its first blizzard warning since 1989. Over the weekend, the weather service's local office in San Diego issued its first-ever blizzard warning for the San Bernardino County mountains

Blizzard warnings remain in effect Wednesday across the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, where up to 2 feet of additional snowfall are possible through Wednesday morning.

The San Bernadino Mountain Range could see between 1 and 3 feet of additional snowfall, with gusts up to 75 mph.

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Igloo

Southern California covered in 6 feet of Global Warming


Babylon Bee
Tue, 28 Feb 2023 01:10 UTC
'Global Warming'
© Babylon Bee
ANAHEIM, CA — The Southland was turned upside down this week as an unexpected weather pattern left the region blanketed by what experts were only able to call "massive amounts of Global Warming." Residents were told to remain indoors to avoid making direct contact with the Global Warming.

"Our world has officially ended," said California resident Luis Garcia. "We've been hearing about Global Warming for years now, but it has now fallen upon us and brought destruction with it." Though the final numbers were not yet reported, it is feared that perhaps dozens of people have been inconvenienced by this new outbreak of Global Warming.
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Snowflake Cold

Red alert for snow as Storm Juliette hits the island of Mallorca, Spain - temperatures below freezing - 20 inches of snowfall (UPDATE)


Majorca Daily Bulletin
Mon, 27 Feb 2023 19:05 UTC
MMMMMMMM
© AFP
It is uncommon that a red alert for severe weather is issued for Mallorca, but red alert there is for snow in the Tramuntana Mountains. The effects of Storm Juliette started to be felt on Sunday night, the met agency Aemet warning of snow of some 40 centimetres over a 24-hour period.

Minimum temperatures fell to -2ºC in Serra d'Alfàbia, -1º in Escorca, 1º in Lluc, 3º in Palma (university area), 3º in Santa Maria and 4º in Porreres.

The snow line is forecast to be as low as 200-300 metres on Monday, and it is possible that there could be snow at sea level, but Aemet says that this is unlikely to settle.


Comment: Update February 28

LBC reports:
Red alert issued as Mallorca hit by 20 inches of snow as Storm Juliette reaches Balearic Islands

The holiday island of Mallorca has been hit by a winter storm that brought with it 20 inches of snow and a rare red weather alert.

A further 15 inches of snow is expected to fall in the next 24 hours as Storm Juliette hit the island.

Spain's weather agency AEMET warned that coastal regions will be battered by 55mph winds and 26ft waves. A red alert has been issued with warnings of 15 more inches of snow on the island's north within 24 hours.

Temperatuers have plummeted to -2C.

The storm has caused power cuts and road closures due to icy conditions and floods.

Locals are being advised to stay indoors until conditions improve.

Mainland Spain has also been affected by the storm with cold weather alerts issued in 30 regions across the county and heavy snow in Barcelona.

Temperatures dropped to -18.6C in Lleida in Catalonia yesterday.



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Snowflake

Thousands snowed in after winter storm dumps as much as 6 FEET of snow in Lake Arrowhead, California

Shayla Girardin
abc7.com
Sun, 26 Feb 2023 15:13 UTC
MMMMMMM
Thousands of residents in the Lake Arrowhead area were snowed in this weekend due to the unprecedented storm that battered Southern California's mountain communities.

Many residents were trapped by the deep layer of snow and ice for upwards of 24 hours.

Some called it the biggest storm in decades with communities getting up to 6 feet of snow.

Snow plows were slowly working to clear the main roads Sunday morning while working their way to residential areas, forcing some residents to get creative and wade through the deep layer of snow with skies.

"This is the most magnificent storm in the 31 years that I've been here," said Ginny Dunn. "I have never seen North Bay this snowy and untraveled."


Comment: See also: Snowfall totals surpass 5 FEET in some areas of southern California with nearly 7 FEET at Mountain High

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