Extreme Temperatures
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Mongolia experiences sudden drop in temperature, early snowfall

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Parts of Mongolia are facing a sudden drop in temperatures and unseasonably early snowfall this autumn.

As of Thursday morning, provinces including Khuvsgul, Selenge, Bulgan, Orkhon, and Darkhan-Uul in the north, as well as the western provinces of Zavkhan and Khovd, and central provinces Tuv, Arkhangai, and Uvurkhangai, have reported snow accumulation of up to 7 cm, according to the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring, reports Xinhua news agency.

This snowfall has led to temperatures plunging to minus five degrees Celsius in these areas. The central and northern regions of Mongolia are crucial for agriculture, and the abrupt weather change has raised concerns about its potential impacts on farming and daily life.

Looking ahead, further snowfall is expected to affect large parts of the country throughout the weekend, along with a continued drop in temperatures. The weather monitoring agency is urging the public, particularly nomadic herders and farmers, to take extra precautions against potential weather-related hazards.

Mongolia's climate is characterised by a strong continental influence, featuring long, frigid winters and short, warm summers.

IANS

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Best of the Web: Unprecedented September snowstorm passes in the Alps - up to 2.5 meters (8 FEET) of snow reported

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It's the largest September snowfall in living memory in parts of the Alps. Most will melt but some won't, with some superb autumn conditions. People are already skiing, but there have been several avalanches with caution urged.

Some eastern parts of the Alps saw the the biggest September snowfalls in living memory.

At altitude there was over 2m in places, with snow down to 700m.

It has made a difference to the glacier ski areas in Austria that are already open and ones opening shortly.

"The higher parts of the central and eastern Austrian Alps (e.g. Dachstein glacier, Kitzsteinhorn glacier, Obertauern) have seen 1.5m to 2m of snow in the last few days, with perhaps close to 2.5m in some favoured spots like the Höhe Tauern, though in most cases this snow has been very wind-blown and therefore difficult to measure," said the alpine weather expert, Fraser Wilkin, from weathertoski.co.uk


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Historic snowfall in the Alps - over 5 feet of snow dumped

Obertauern
Obertauern, Austria
It can snow any month of the year here in Montana, but what's going on in Europe right now is historic. Many higher elevations in the Alps have been buried under three to five feet of snow. Like Montana, while snow in the Alps this time of year is not uncommon, this amount of snow in September is rare and record-breaking.

Even some of the valleys in Austria are dealing with two to three feet of snow. Toward the ski areas, some of the settled snow depth is greater than 5 feet, indicating that the snow totals were even higher.

A strong north flow across Europe has created their version of a pineapple express. Moisture from the North Atlantic hit the Alps similar to moisture streaming in from the Pacific and slamming into the cascades or Sierra Nevada, where snow totals can reach many feet more frequently.

Not all snow, this storm has created equally historic flooding with dams bursting, power knocked out, and it was responsible for at least 18 deaths. As this snow melts, more flooding is likely.


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Blizzard on Beartooth Highway, Wyoming with a week left in summer

Wyoming photographer Dave Bell got caught in a blizzard on the Beartooth Highway on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. It left a distinct wintery scene all around the Wyoming high country.
© Dave BellWyoming photographer Dave Bell got caught in a blizzard on the Beartooth Highway on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. It left a distinct wintery scene all around the Wyoming high country.
There's still a week of summer left in Wyoming, going by the calendar. But September snow is already falling in Yellowstone National Park and the highest points of the Cowboy State.

Pinedale photographer Dave Bell was traveling throughout northwest Wyoming on Thursday when he decided to take the Beartooth Highway to Red Lodge. As soon as he reached the 10,947-foot summit, he found himself navigating a blizzard.

"When I got to the top, all hell broke loose," he said. "It was an absolute whiteout for about 45 minutes. You couldn't see a thing. (It was) a heavy, heavy snow squall."

Bell said it was heavy enough that a snowplow was already clearing the road before it was over.


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Best of the Web: Day 3 of the summer snow storm in the European Alps - snowfall in excess of 3 feet

Snow in Saalbach Hinterglemm, Austria.
© Saalbach_com InstagramSnow in Saalbach Hinterglemm, Austria.
Saturday has brought more snow to the northeastern Alps. As a cold front from the north brings Arctic cold to the Alps, a storm front from Italy is bringing record precipitation to the Alps. Some regions are counting in excess of 1 meter (3 feet) at this stage and it's not letting up. The weather will continue while the snowline will hover between 1,100-1,700 meters (3,600-5,570 feet)

The cold front and snowfall have also surprised migratory birds, which are sadly dying by the thousands. The birds struggle to find shelter from the rain and snow and cannot find insects for survival, leading to death from starvation and exhaustion.


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Best of the Web: Day 2 of the summer snowstorm in the European Alps - at least 30 inches of snow thus far

Obertauern saw 60cm of snow.
© @UnwetterFreaks XObertauern saw 60cm of snow.
More images are coming from European ski resorts in the northeastern Alps as the low-pressure system is moving across the European Alps. While so far only about 50-75 centimeters (20-30 inches) have fallen so far, the brunt of the snowstorm is yet to come. The next 24 hours are expected to be quite dramatic as 200mm of precipitation is forecast in some regions and 400mm over the next 48 hours.

It is expected that this will come down as snow above 1,000 meters (3,280 feet). Massive snow breakage, avalanches, and mudslides are to be expected in those regions. Remote mountain villages could be cut off for several days from the outside world and basic infrastructure, such as transportation, power, etc., is also under threat. Lower areas are anticipated to be at risk of flashfloods. Local authorities are expecting a century flood for regions in Eastern Europe.


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Day 1 of the summer snowstorm in the European Alps

Germany’s Zugspitze saw 30 cm of snow.
© Zugspitze InstagramGermany’s Zugspitze saw 30 cm of snow.
The cold front from the Arctic has hit Germany, and temperatures have dropped from summery 25-30°C (77-86°F) to chilly winter temperatures. As the low is moving north, carrying moisture it gathered over the Mediterranean Sea, and hits the cold front, summer snowfall is being unleashed on parts of the European Alps. Between 5-35 centimeters (2-13 inches) of snow have fallen, and the snowline is dropping to as low as 800 meters (2,625 feet) in some areas of Germany.

The brunt of the snowstorm is supposed to come on Saturday, so stay tuned for more images over the next few days.

According to Copernicus, the European Space Agency, an unusual weather system over Scandinavia is accompanied by cold Arctic air, and moving south across Europe, bringing strong winds, a sharp drop in temperatures, and early snow in the Alps.


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Early snowfall in the Czech Republic

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On the morning of Thursday, September 12, the first snow of the autumn-winter season arrived in the Czech Republic.

The snow covered Velký Javor, the highest peak in the Šumava National Park, which stands at 1,300 meters above sea level.

Overnight, temperatures at Velký Javor dropped to around +2°C, allowing light snowfall to occur in areas above 1,300 meters. The snowfall, however, was light, with no more than one centimeter settling on the ground.

Meteorologists predict that today's snow will melt quickly, but additional snowfall is expected on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

This snowfall comes earlier than in 2023, when the first snow was delayed until October 8 due to an unusually warm autumn. The year before, the first snow arrived on September 18.

A video of today's snowfall:


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Arctic air brings early snow to Scotland's mountain tops

Mountain ranger Ruari Macdonald in snow at CairnGorm Mountain ski centre near Aviemore on Wednesday
© PETER JOLLY/NORTHPIXMountain ranger Ruari Macdonald in snow at CairnGorm Mountain ski centre near Aviemore on Wednesday
Some of Scotland's highest mountains have had the first autumn dusting of snow.

The Cairngorms, Glen Coe and Lochaber have been among upland areas to see wintry showers.

Strong north-westerly winds have brought colder air from the Arctic across the UK.

BBC Weather said snow over Scottish mountains was not uncommon in September during the transition into the colder winter months.

Nights are expected to feel chilly and rural areas could have ground frost.

BBC Weather said by Friday and into the weekend, there would be another change in wind direction to a south-westerly.

It added that this wind direction tended to bring in more seasonally average temperatures - around 16 to 20C for mid-September.

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Are we in for a big winter? Heavy rain and snow in the Pyrenees and Alps - up to 27.5 inches of early snowfall recorded

Passo Stelvio
Passo Stelvio on September 9, 2024.
The recent heavy snowfall and rainfall in Europe represents a significant boost for the snow industry and mountain tourism in Europe. The intense Isolated High Level Depression, which has crossed Western Europe, has resulted in considerable snow accumulations for this time of the year.

Recent weather events in the mountainous regions of Europe, especially in the Alps, seem to anticipate a winter of heavy snowfall. The heavy precipitation and heavy snowfall forecast for the coming months is excellent news for both the winter sports industry and the accumulation of water reserves.

According to data provided by Meteo France, the Alps have recorded accumulations of between 10 and 70 cm of snow on their highest peaks and the Pic du Midi in the French Pyrenees has been dyed white. The "premature" arrival of snow is particularly noticeable in the French and Italian regions, notably the Mercantour and Haute-Maurienne valleys in France as well as the Italian Alps and the Apennines, from the Ligurian coast to Reggio Calabria, where up to 20 cm of snow has been recorded on the highest peaks.