Extreme Temperatures
S


Snowflake

2,000 trapped overnight as snow cuts off highways in Spain


Yahoo! News
Fri, 20 Jan 2017 15:59 UTC
A statue of a bull is covered by snow at the entrance of the bullring in Ronda, southern Spain, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017.
A statue of a bull is covered by snow at the entrance of the bullring in Ronda, southern Spain, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017.
Authorities say some 2,000 people were trapped overnight in vehicles as heavy snowfall cut off several roads in eastern Spain.

The army's emergency unit said Friday it was distributing blankets and hot drinks to hundreds of people trapped on the A3 highway linking Madrid to the coastal city of Valencia and on other roads in the region.

Soldiers and firefighters used snowplows to try to clear the snow, managing to open A3 traffic toward Valencia although it remained blocked toward Madrid.

Some train services in the region were also interrupted.

Heavy snowfall and rainstorms have hit many parts of Spain this week with some eastern coastal tourist towns reporting their first snow in decades.

The AEMET weather agency said that more snow and freezing temperatures were expected Friday.

Snow Spain
Source: AP
Read More...
Snowflake

Freak heavy snowfall hits the Sahara desert; up to one metre deep

Martin Bagot
Daily Mirror
Fri, 20 Jan 2017 14:38 UTC
The sand dunes were turned into snow-covered hills
© Zineddine Hashas/Geoff Robinson The sand dunes were turned into snow-covered hills
Photographers have taken incredible pictures this morning of ONE METRE deep snow covering the sand in the small Saharan desert town of Ain Sefra

These bizarre scenes from the Sahara Desert show locals sledging down sand dunes after the heaviest snowfall in living memory.

Photographers have taken incredible pictures this morning of ONE METRE deep snow covering the sand in the small Saharan desert town of Ain Sefra.

The town saw a sprinkling of snow just before Christmas, when a few flakes settled on the red sand dunes of the world's hottest desert for the first time in 37 years.


People sledging in the Sahara Desert
© Zineddine Hashas/Geoff Robinson People sledging in the Sahara Desert
Read More...
Snowflake Cold

Spain experiences its heaviest snowfall in 35 years

Rita Sobot, Hannah Al-othman and Gareth Davies
Daily Mail
Thu, 19 Jan 2017 15:10 UTC
Snow on the beaches of Majorca where the freak weather has turned the island into a winter wonderland
Snow on the beaches of Majorca where the freak weather has turned the island into a winter wonderland

Brits who headed to Europe this week in search of some winter sun were in for a nasty surprise as a snow storm swept across the continent and Spain experienced its heaviest snowfall in 35 years.

The usually sun-drenched holiday destinations in Germany, Croatia, Italy, Corsica and Serbia are all feeling the chill thanks to the freak cold snap.

Beaches at numerous coastal resorts - where tourists flock to escape the British weather - have been wiped out by freak snow storms.

But the cold weather didn't stop Orthodox Russian Christians taking cold dips in freezing temperatures as part of a celebration of the Epiphany.

Many who have retired to Spain for its sunnier climes were stunned to see snow covering beaches on the eastern coast today - and even sticking to the citrus fruits the country is famous for
Many who have retired to Spain for its sunnier climes were stunned to see snow covering beaches on the eastern coast today - and even sticking to the citrus fruits the country is famous for

Read More...
Attention

Intense Aurora lights and 'sounds' recorded; 'perfect storm' of bad weather wipes out vegetables in Europe

Adapt 2030
YouTube
Wed, 18 Jan 2017 07:10 UTC
perfect storm European vegetables
© YouTube/Adapat 2030 (screen capture)
Fox Flash freezes in Danube River, ice clogs hydro electric dam in Canada, Bangladesh cold wave, and cyclonic winds and blizzards wipe out Europe's vegetable crops. Exodus of villagers in Pakistani villages.


Comment: See also:

Read More...
Ice Cube

With two weeks to go, Gunnison, Colorado experiences snowiest month on record

Robert Felix
Ice Age Now
Wed, 18 Jan 2017 19:30 UTC
Gunnison, Colorado snowfall
© KUSA
With a lot of days to go in the month.

Gunnison's airport estimated they've seen 55 to 60 inches of snow since January 3 of this year.

That would make it Gunnison's snowiest month on record. Not the snowiest January on record, mind you, but the snowiest month on record.

If the airport's estimate is correct, this would top January 1957 when 50.2 inches of snow fell on Gunnison.

See incredible snow amounts in this video from 9News.

Comment: Global Warming? Too Much Snow Closes Ski Resorts, Amazing Light Pillars & California Drought Erased in One Storm

Read More...
Snowflake Cold

More heavy snowfall across Mediterranean countries


Al Jazeera
Wed, 18 Jan 2017 16:13 UTC
Snow covered car in Corte, Corsica
© AFPSnow covered car in Corte, Corsica
Much of southern Europe is experiencing its second round of snow in just under two weeks. Many in parts of southern Europe may be feeling that winter has targeted them in giving them the brunt of heavy snow and winds caused by the second winter storm to affect the area in just 10 days.

The excursion boat MS AquaMarin is locked in by snow and ice on the Okerstausee reservoir, Germany
© AFPThe excursion boat MS AquaMarin is locked in by snow and ice on the Okerstausee reservoir, Germany
While similar to the previous storm that brought heavy snow and extremely cold air across much of the region, this storm will also stay locked in place over the Mediterranean. The weather pattern continues to keep a "blocking" pattern in place across much of central Europe and the steering winds stay well to the north.

While we may see a few breaks in the weather, the forecast into late January keeps many of these storms bringing snow, winds and rain to the countries around the Mediterranean Sea.
Read More...
Snowflake Cold

Italy sends in the army to assist people trapped by snow


The Local It
Tue, 17 Jan 2017 13:08 UTC
Snow in Italy
© AFP
Heavy snowfall and unusually harsh weather have left hundreds of thousands of homes without electricity, schools closed, and roads unusable.

Recent days have seen up to a metre of snow in southern areas, strong winds in the north and coastal areas, and temperatures well below the average for the season in most of the country, reaching lows of below -30C in some northern mountain towns.

The wintry conditions are expected to last for at least another week, due to the arrival of a polar air mass in the country, weather experts at Meteo.it explained.

On Tuesday evening, Italy's Defence Minister Roberta Pinotti confirmed that the army had deployed soldiers to Abruzzo, which is suffering the brunt of the wintry spell with road closures, power blackouts and some smaller villages isolated.
Read More...
Snowflake Cold

Record snowfall forces migration in areas of Pakistan


Dawn
Mon, 16 Jan 2017 11:15 UTC
snow road
Food shortages caused by blockade of a main road owing to heavy snowfall in Kaghan valley have triggered migration of local people to plains of Hazara division.

The residents of upper parts of Kaghan valley continued to migrate to Balakot, Mansehra, Abbottabad and other parts of Hazara owing to shortage of food items following blockade of Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road.

"We have relocated our police station in Kaghan to Mahandri area of Balakot tehsil as local people have been migrating to lower parts of Hazara because of heavy snowfall and blockade of roads in the upper reaches," SHO Tariq Khan told reporters.

Mr Khan said Gattidas, Baiser, Barawai, Battakundi, upper and lower Soch and Saiful Muluk Lake posts had already been closed, and now Kaghan police station was relocated.

Hotels in the Kaghan valley have also been closed following the heavy snowfall. "Our hotels are closed since start of the snowfall and now watchman and other staff are leaving Naran because of heavy snowfall in the valley," Saith Matiullah, president of hoteliers association, Kaghan, told reporters.

He said Kaghan-Naran section of Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road remained closed since last week.

Comment: Pakistan government warns the country to prepare for global cooling

Read More...
Binoculars

'A Waxwing Winter': Soaring numbers of rare birds invade the UK


ITV
Wed, 18 Jan 2017 10:11 UTC
Waxwings
© Les WilliamsWaxwings
An unusual species of bird is enjoying a winter vacation here in the UK, according to the RSPB charity.

Waxwings are a small starling-sized bird with a prominent crest and colourful markings. They only travel here from Siberia and northern Scandinavia when they experience a particularly harsh winter or if there is a shortage of food.

So many have been spotted this year, the RSPB has described it as a 'Waxwing Winter'.
They're moving across the country from east to west and they're devouring trees full of berries .... Only ever 3 or 4 years do these birds come in large numbers.

- JAMIE WYVER, RSPB
The wildlife conversation charity hopes the rare winter visitor will encourage more people to take part in its annual Big Birdwatch, the world's biggest wildlife survey.

Waxwings mostly feed on fruit.
© Les WilliamsWaxwings mostly feed on fruit.

Comment: See also: Rare waxwing birds from abroad that signal harsh winter seen across Gloucestershire, UK as temperatures plummet

Read More...
Ice Cube

Snow over the top of your head in Russia: Record snowfall in some areas

Robert
Ice Age Now
Mon, 16 Jan 2017 21:57 UTC
Snowfall in Russia
© Via Instagram/grann_nat
In the Kuzbass Mountains it is possible to dip your head in the snow.

At the meteorological station "Central Mine" snow depth has reached 188 cm (6′-2″).

In the region of the Volga and Central Russia, average snow depth exceeds 40 cm (16 inches). In Nizhny Novgorod snow depth is 43 cm and in Tambov it is 44cm. In Samara and Kirov, snow depth has reached a half meter (19 inches)! For comparison, the normal amount of snow for this time of year is 25-35 cm (10-14 inches).

Due to frequent snowstorms in the Lipetsk region, the capital set a record in floodplain areas - 85 cm (33 inches)! Thirty-three inches. That's waist deep! Beyond the Urals there is even more snow. The region of Omsk recorded 75 cm (2½ ft) of snow (Tevriz), while the region of Tomsk reported 92 cm(3 ft) (Bakchar).

Traditionally, a large amount of snow is observed in Kamchatka and polar Yakutia. In the village Chokurdakh, the snow measures 166 cm (5′-5″). The absolute snowfall leader in Russia is the alpine weather station Sochi, with more than 220 cm (just over 7 ft).
Read More...