Extreme Temperatures

All scientists and passengers to be taken off ship stuck in Antarctic Ice

Anthony Watts
WattsUpWithThat?
Mon, 30 Dec 2013 00:00 UTC

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority's (AMSA) Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC Australia) was advised this morning by the Aurora Australis that the ship will not be able to reach the MV Akademik Shokalskiy.

The Aurora Australis advised RCC Australia it would be at risk of becoming beset by ice itself if it continued to make further rescue attempts.

The Aurora Australis made attempts yesterday to reach the MV Akademik Shokalskiy but was driven back into open waters due to adverse weather conditions such as winds up to 30 knots and snow showers resulting in poor visibility. The ship is currently located about 16 nautical miles east of the Russian vessel.

The helicopter on board the Chinese flagged vessel Xue Long will now be used to rescue the passengers from the MV Akademik Shokalskiy.

This rescue will be a complex operation involving a number of steps and subject to factors such as weather.

The helicopter is unable to fly in the current weather conditions, and will hold off on the rescue until conditions improve. Weather conditions are unlikely to start improving until tomorrow and decisions related to carrying out the rescue may be made at short notice.

Mercury plummets 32 degrees in just hours in Minneapolis MN

Alastair Jamieson & Simon Moya-Smith
NBC News
Mon, 30 Dec 2013 04:45 UTC

Bitterly cold weather lingered in central and eastern parts of the country on Monday, with some regions experiencing wind chills as low as 25 to 35 degrees below zero.

"Very cold wind chills this morning," the National Weather Service said in an advisory for Wisconsin, warning about the possibility of frost bite and hypothermia if precautions weren't taken.

The combination of frigid air and high winds would produce wind chills of up to 35 degrees below zero from the Dakotas into Minnesota and northern Wisconsin, it predicted.

The Weather Channel noted that Minneapolis saw a 32 degree temperature swing on Sunday, "starting the day at 29 degrees, at midnight, temperatures plummeted to 3 below zero by 10 a.m. And factoring in the winds, it felt closer to 20 below."

Stormy weather, heavy snow hit northern Japan

Japan Today
Sun, 29 Dec 2013 19:55 UTC

Tokyo - Heavy snow and blizzards hit many parts of the Sea of Japan coast and Hokkaido on Saturday.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said a low pressure system had brought a cold air mass over northern Japan, bringing 22 cms of snow in Yamagata, Niigata, Akita and Toyama prefectures, and up to 50 cms in mountainous regions.

Hokkaido received heavy snowfall and blizzards as well, TBS reported. Shin-Chitose airport in Sapporo reported the cancellation of 23 flights, while JR Hakodate canceled 60 train services between Sapporo and Hakodate.

The meteorological agency forecast the blizzard-like conditions to continue until Monday and cautioned that transportation could be further disrupted.

Bird watchers flock to Portland, UK after a rare Arctic Brunnich's Guillemot spotted

Rachel Stretton
Dorset Echo
Sat, 28 Dec 2013 10:34 UTC

Bird lovers are flocking to Portland after a rare Arctic visitor was spotted in the harbour.

Hundreds of people from all over the country headed to Portland Marina to get a glimpse of a Brunnich's Guillemot (or Thick-billed Murre ) which is usually found in colder, northern climates including Russia and Norway.

Crowds of enthusiasts are still there today trying to photograph the bird.

Debby Saunders, of Portland, first saw the vagrant, which is believed to have been blown off course in the recent bad weather, on Boxing Day.

She said: "It is really exciting. It is the first time this species has been seen this far south in the UK."

Debby was bird watching with her husband Pete when she saw the Brunnich's in the distance.

Update! Chinese icebreaker cancels rescue mission to save expedition in Antarctica 'because sea ice is too thick'

Alok Jha
The Guardian
Sat, 28 Dec 2013 08:17 UTC

© Laurence Topham for the Guardian
The Chinese icebreaker Xue Long has had to abandon its rescue mission of the Akademik Shokalskiy

The Guardian's man on the icebound vessel reports on the freezing conditions as the expedition waits for assistance

Cape de la Motte, East Antarctica: the Xue Long appeared as a dot on the horizon, against a bright blue sky, to the starboard side of our ice-locked ship just after dinnertime on Friday evening, local time.

After two days of intense blizzards, with biting cold that had forced us to spend all our time below decks, the break in the weather and the approaching rescue had put the crew and passengers of the MV Akademik Shokalskiy in good spirits.

With temperatures at a pleasantly bearable -1C, some of the crew went on to the ice surrounding the ship in all directions and killed time by making igloos. The rest remained on board and watched the Chinese icebreaker through binoculars as it appeared to make steady progress, silently zigzagging through the ice, from the upper deck of the ship.

As we waited, penguins, apparently confused by the sudden appearance of a solid mass caused by the compacting of ice floes around our vessel, wandered past at regular intervals, looking for the shoreline.

Comment: Global warming? Antarctica hit a new all-time coldest temperature record of -135 degrees Fahrenheit TWICE in last three years

Weather caused late deliveries for Christmas - Senator calls for refunds from shipping companies

Natalie DiBlasio and Beau Zimmer
USA Today
Thu, 26 Dec 2013 12:22 UTC

Thousands of UPS packages will arrive after Christmas

For the Allan family in Clearwater, Fla., Chicago beef is an annual holiday tradition. The family orders Christmas dinner shipped in every year from the famed Portillo's Restaurant.

"It's a big deal," said Jan Allan. "It's something to us that's special for our family. It's not something we can get in Florida."

She was planning a dinner party for 20 friends and family. When the food didn't arrive by early Christmas Eve, she was worried.

"I became concerned and tried to check the tracking number," said Allan.

It turned out the Allans were among thousands of families that didn't get their Christmas package by Christmas.

For the first time this year, UPS took on more overnight packages than it could deliver. The company apologized to customers, blaming bad winter weather in the South and a surge in online shopping.

The apology didn't go far with people on social media, which exploded with complaints about UPS and FedEx from customers furious about empty spots under their trees.

Most complaints were directed at UPS, which issued statements on Christmas Eve and again on Christmas Day acknowledging that the company was overwhelmed by unexpected volume and some packages were delayed until after the holiday.

Alps avalanches leave four people dead after heavy snowfalls

Kim Willsher
The Guardian
Fri, 27 Dec 2013 14:15 UTC

© Giancarlo Cattaneo/EPA
Experts examine the spot where an avalanche began near St Moritz, Switzerland, killing one person.

A series of avalanches in the Alps on Friday left four people dead, including a young Irishman, and several other skiers seriously injured, according to mountain rescue teams.

Off-piste skiers have been warned there may be further avalanches this weekend.

Seven skiers were swept away when avalanches hit the popular resorts of Val-Thorens, Courchevel, La Clusaz and Serre-Chevalier.

One man, reportedly a French mountain worker, aged 50, died in Courchevel as he tried to reach his chalet refuge with his son, when the pair were "surprised by an avalanche", mountain rescue services said. The son was saved, but his father died. In a separate incident at Serre-Chevalier, a second skier, described as between 15 and 20 years of age, died in hospital after being buried in snow after an avalanche reportedly under the ski lifts.

Comment: It would be normal in reporting such an incident that the avalanches were due to very heavy snowfall in the last few days, with some places receiving up to 1.5 meter of snow (5 feet). It is likely due to the fact that the Guardian has betted so heavily on the AGW horse that all information to the contrary is ignored. Here is the snow map for the last 3 days with numbers in centimeters:

"Exceptional" snowfall in Cortina d' Ampezzo, Italy

Robert Felix
iceagenow.info
Thu, 26 Dec 2013 13:14 UTC

"Not only is North America experiencing power outages, so is Cortina d'Ampezzo, famous skiing area in Italy," says reader Mirco Poletto. "Due to snow Cortina has had no electrical power for several hours. Trees are falling and there is avalanche and landslide danger."

Cortina d'Ampezzo (Belluno ) has been without electricity since early morning due to exceptional heavy snowfall that is creating considerable discomfort around the Cadore.

The fresh snow has reached half a meter in height, closing several roads leading to Ampezzo and Cortina, which are currently only accessible from the main road. Mountain passes are closed.

On Falzarego six people were trapped in their cars by the snow and were recovered by rescuers and taken to the shelter Col Gallina.

Even the tourist town of Madesimo (Sondrio ) in high Vallespluga remains isolated from the rest of Lombardy for the entire night because of heavy snowfall .

On the whole alpine it has been snowing copious hours without a break, and is still snowing heavily.

"Exceptional" snowfall in Cortina d' Ampezzo, Italy

Thanks to Dr Mirco Poletto in Italy for this link

'Heavy snowfall may disrupt Sochi Games'

Business Standard
Wed, 25 Dec 2013 12:59 UTC

No shortage of snow has been forecast for the upcoming Sochi Winter Olympics, but potential heavy snowfall may cause real problems, a Russian official said.

"There will be enough snow, that issue doesn't disturb us," head of the Russian Weather Service, Rosgidromet, Alexander Frolov told reporters, reports Xinhua.

On the contrary, he said, there are concerns that heavy snowfall could seriously disrupt the competition in Sochi.

He warned that weather in that subtropical zone is very volatile and snowstorms there, once started, might last for two or three consecutive days .

In December, the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry has once issued an avalanche warning in Sochi, anticipating blackouts, disruption of communications, housing services and transportation in the mountainous area.

Source: IANS

China icebreaker close to trapped Antarctic ship frozen in ice that is supposed to be disappearing according to Global Warmists

bbc.co.uk
Fri, 27 Dec 2013 12:13 UTC

A scientific mission ship, trapped in dense pack ice off East Antarctica since Christmas Day, is close to being rescued as a Chinese icebreaker nears.

The crew can see the Snow Dragon icebreaker, which will try to cut a path through the ice allowing the research vessel to reach open water.

The Russian Academic Shokalskiy ship has 74 on board and is being used by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition.

They are following the route explorer Douglas Mawson travelled a century ago.

One of the leaders of the expedition, Chris Turney, tweeted an image of the Snow Dragon icebreaker on the horizon as it approached the ship.

As mentioned ... there will be no EU anymore in 2035.

codis

Nice Roman handshake there (the one on the coins....not the spartan one to confuse us).......and what a coincidence we get to see the money shot!...

danny esq

It won't effect the family banking dynasty, they set this up, the media now has to smooth it over with nation state woo

danny esq

Priests is to child abuser as Muslim is to terrorist. The only traditions that are strong enough on this earth to stand up to the nwo and...

Robber Chih

Macron is simply reviving an old tradition - the Divine Right of Kings.

Brewer

Extreme Temperatures

All scientists and passengers to be taken off ship stuck in Antarctic Ice

Mercury plummets 32 degrees in just hours in Minneapolis MN

Stormy weather, heavy snow hit northern Japan

Bird watchers flock to Portland, UK after a rare Arctic Brunnich's Guillemot spotted

Update! Chinese icebreaker cancels rescue mission to save expedition in Antarctica 'because sea ice is too thick'

Weather caused late deliveries for Christmas - Senator calls for refunds from shipping companies

Alps avalanches leave four people dead after heavy snowfalls

"Exceptional" snowfall in Cortina d' Ampezzo, Italy

'Heavy snowfall may disrupt Sochi Games'

China icebreaker close to trapped Antarctic ship frozen in ice that is supposed to be disappearing according to Global Warmists

Latest News

Picture of the Day

Quote of the Day

Recent Comments

Quantum Quirk

Contact Us