As biting cold temperatures sweep across a large swath of the US, parts of the Great Lakes face up to two feet of additional lake-effect snow through Tuesday - the latest complication for cities already blanketed by snowfall amid post-Thanksgiving travel.
More than two million people downwind of the Great Lakes have been under winter weather warnings. Winter storm warnings were posted off Lakes Superior and Michigan, and lake-effect snow warnings are in place off Lakes Erie and Ontario, with heavy snow reported this weekend across parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York state.
Nearly 4 feet of snow fell on parts of western New York the last few days, according to the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center, with some places exceeding the 4-foot mark Sunday. Copenhagen, New York, saw 58.8 inches - nearly 5 feet - by Sunday night, according to the weather service.
An Arctic blast gripped the northern Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes on Saturday, with millions of Americans under freeze warnings.
More than 17 million people were cautioned Saturday under National Weather Service winter alerts, including 3.6 million under lake-effect snow warnings, 4.5 million under freeze warnings, 8.5 million under winter weather advisories, and 1 million under frost advisories.
Affected areas included the Great Lakes and the Central Plains to the Appalachians, with many of those freeze warnings focused on the Southeast.
The National Weather Service warned that the Arctic airmass is delivering the coldest temperatures since last winter. Wind chills in the northern Plains and upper Midwest are expected to plunge below zero Saturday morning. Parts of North Dakota could experience wind chills as low as minus 30 to 40 degrees, according to the agency.
Thousands are without power in parts of Ontario hit hard by a blast of winter weather delivering gusty winds and heavy snow, with more to come.
Snow blowing off lakes Superior and Huron has closed a stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway, knocked out power and buried some communities under nearly a metre of snow.
Hydro One, the provincial utility, says its crews are working to restore power to more than 30,000 customers, mostly in hard-hit central Ontario.
Bracebridge and Sault Ste. Marie, two of the hardest hit areas, are digging out from around 80 centimetres of snow, with another 40 to 50 centimetres in Saturday's forecast.
Starting on Tuesday, many areas in Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces in Northeast China have been experiencing a sharp temperature drop of more than 10 degrees Celsius.
In Hegang city of Heilongjiang, the cumulative snowfall from 8 am Tuesday to 8 am Wednesday notched up 49.7 mm, breaking the local historical record for single-day snowfall in November. The city's maximum snow depth has reached 48 cm.
Meanwhile, with a snow depth of 45 cm, Heihe city has broken the local record for the deepest snow accumulation since its weather observations began in 1959.
Although the snowfall in most areas of Heilongjiang has gradually weakened, widespread snowfall is expected to continue on Thursday. Moreover, temperatures across the province are expected to plummet. It is forecasted that the highest temperatures in most areas of Heilongjiang will drop between 10 to 14 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, according to local meteorological authorities.
Mammoth Mountain, one of the snowiest ski resorts in North America, is getting buried in snow by an atmospheric river that has drenched northern and central areas of California with heavy rain this week.
As of Friday morning, Mammoth had measured over two feet of snow over the past 24 hours and nearly 60" season to date, resort officials said in a media release that included high-res video and photos of the snowfall.
Eleven of the resort's 27 lifts were open.
"Early-season snowfall is a major boon for destinations like Mammoth Lakes," resort officials said. "It's been an incredible start to the winter season."
Mammoth receives an average of 322″ of snow per year.
The city received three months' worth of precipitation
Blagoveshchensk, Russia, is experiencing historic snowfall, with local authorities reporting that the two-day accumulation is equivalent to an entire winter's worth of snow—a phenomenon not seen in nearly 100 years.
At least three people were killed, multiple injuries and power outages were reported, and over 100 flights were canceled on Wednesday after a heavy snowstorm pelted the nation.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said more than 24 centimeters (9.44 inches) of snow had battered Seoul and Gangwon as of 4 p.m. Gyeonggi received 22 centimeters of snow, and 14 centimeters of snow hit Incheon. Other provinces and Jeju Island had gotten 2.8 to 20.1 centimeters of snow.
The capital had received over 16 centimeters of snow as of 8 a.m., the city's highest daily snow accumulation in November since modern meteorological observation began in 1907.
In the Zaroslyak tract, snow cover of 70-80 cm was recorded at a temperature of -2°C. On Mount Pip Ivan Chornohirsky, the weather is cloudy with clearings, the temperature is +1°C.
Details
"As of 8:00 a.m. on November 25, 2024, it is cloudy in the Zaroslyak tract, snowing (snow cover is 70-80 cm), southwest wind 3-4 m/s, air temperature -2°C," the unit said.
As of 08:30, the weather on Mount Pip Ivan Chornohirsky was cloudy with clearings. North wind 6-7 m/s. The air temperature is +1°C.
The arrival of snow and freezing temperatures across central and eastern Türkiye is marking a significant start to the winter season. From Kayseri in the Central Anatolia region to Niğde in the heart of Türkiye, several cities have been blanketed in snow, with freezing temperatures reaching as low as minus 5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit). Snow has caused disruptions, but it also brought a sense of excitement as the season's first snowfall set the stage for winter weather.
In Kayseri, at the beginning of the evening, the snow quickly covered rooftops, cars, streets, and parks in the city. With temperatures dropping to minus 5 degrees Celsius, the local authorities worked swiftly to clear roads, especially in the mountainous areas surrounding the city. The snow also affected Erciyes Mountain, a popular ski resort that saw significant snowfall at its higher altitudes.
In Yozgat, by morning, the city center was completely covered in white, and road crews were out clearing the streets. Local residents, shared their excitement, stating that they were happy to see the first snow and hoped it would continue throughout the season.
Storm Bert is battering the country with strong winds, heavy rain and snow and ice with amber warnings coming into force bringing a "potential risk to life and property".
Travel is widely disrupted with roads closed and some train routes cancelled throughout Saturday with rail companies urging passengers to avoid travelling to certain areas.
Winds of up to 68mph have been recorded and 13cm of snow has fallen in some parts of the country on Saturday morning, a Met Office spokesperson said, while 38 flood alerts are in place across the UK.