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Fri, 29 Sep 2023
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Snowflake

Northern Japan's Iwate prefecture observes latest snow on record on May 8

Carp streamers that were set up for Children's Day on May 5 are seen next to a field blanketed in snow in Ichinohe, Iwate Prefecture, on May 8, 2023.
© Mainichi/Shin Yamamoto
Carp streamers that were set up for Children's Day on May 5 are seen next to a field blanketed in snow in Ichinohe, Iwate Prefecture, on May 8, 2023.
The northern Japan prefecture of Iwate saw its latest snowfall on record on May 8 as a front brought unusually cold weather to the area.

According to the Morioka Local Meteorological Office, a low-pressure system and front off the Sanriku coast brought cold air into the region, resulting in snow mainly in and around the mountains. It was a complete change from the warm spring and early summerlike temperatures the prefecture has been seeing recently.

The Iwate Prefecture town of Ichinohe recorded 3 centimeters of snow on May 8, the first day after the Golden Week holidays in Japan. Since statistics began, there is no record of snow at observation points in the prefecture after May 3, and this year's snowfall is believed to be the latest ever.


Snowflake

Cold front delivers snow, hail to large parts of Australia - Record cold May temperatures recorded in parts of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory

Snow fell in Oberon, NSW
© Gail Watson
Snow fell in Oberon, NSW.
The calendar may not have ticked over yet, but the wintry weather has arrived — and forecasters say the frosty conditions are far from over.

Large parts of southern-eastern Australia were plunged into freezing conditions on the weekend, as icy air from Antarctica was pushed across the eastern states by a strong cold front.

The strong winds disrupted flights in Sydney, while people from New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT and Tasmania took to social media to share photos of the swathes of hail and snow blanketing the streets and mountain tops.


Snowflake

Snowfall in summer! Several areas of Jammu & Kashmir, India witness snowfall in May

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Several parts of Jammu and Kashmir witnessed heavy snowfall on May 8.

Kokernag area in South Kashmir was completely covered with snow.

Pahalgam's Betaab Valley was covered with white sheet of snow.

Kulgam also witnessed a fresh spell of snowfall. Heavy snowfall was also witnessed in Machail area of Kishtwar.


Snowflake

Rare May snowfall blankets Chitral mountains in Pakistan

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Swat valley and Lower Dir also receive hailstorm and damaged crops

Chitral city—located at the foothold of Hindukush mountain range—received rare snowfall in May and blanketed mountain tops.

Reportedly Upper and Lower Chitral areas receive snowfall and snowfall dropped the mercury considerably and forced people to wear 'warm clothes'.


Arrow Down

Avalanche in Denali National Park, Alaska, kills parks employee

Denali as seen from the Reflection Pond.
© National Park Services
Denali as seen from the Reflection Pond.
An avalanche killed a Denali National Park and Preserve employee while he was backcountry skiing within the park on a north-facing slope near Mile 10 on the Park Road on Thursday, May 4. Around 1 pm an individual reported to staff that they had observed a lone skier triggering an avalanche on an unnamed slope south of Jenny Creek and East of Savage River.

Denali rangers were dispatched and observed an unoccupied truck at the Mile 11 pullout. A ranger used a spotting scope to look for survivors in the area where the avalanche occurred. Two skis, one vertical, one lying flat on the surface, as well as an orange bag were observed in a debris field in the avalanche area.

Mountaineering rangers were dispatched with a helicopter and conducted a quick aerial reconnaissance of the area and then landed to configure for a short-haul operation. Two rangers with basic life support equipment were inserted via short-haul to the scene. Upon reaching the scene it was determined that the skier had died.

Cow

For Western ranchers, harsh weather has meant brutal losses during prime calving season

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In remote southeast Oregon, about the only place to stop for a hundred miles is the Oasis Cafe in Juntura.

Travelers come in for coffee and to warm up near the wood stove. Locals gather here too.

Rancher Glenn Harris sits down with a couple of his neighbors for a hot burger. He's talking about what everyone's talking about right now: How this bitter spring has been devastating for newborn calves.

"We had about two feet of snow at least on top of five or six inches of ice," Harris said. "Those calves are born and they just melt right down to that ice."

Snowflake

Davis sets an all-time West Virginia record for May snowfall - 20 inches in 3 days

A country road near Davis this week.
© Alan Tomson
A country road near Davis this week. Crews had to pull snowplows out off storage and get going.
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh reports the Tucker County town of Davis officially received 20.3 inches of snow during the first three days of May. The accumulation is an all time record for anywhere in West Virginia for snowfall in the month of May.

"We had started to make the transition. The trees had budded, flowers were coming up, and people were cutting their grass last week. All of the traditional signs of spring were happening and all of a sudden we had three days of snow," said Davis Mayor Alan Tomson.

It wasn't just three days of snow. It was three days of driving, pounding, wet snow which quickly started to pile up each night.


Arrow Down

3 bodies found after 6 go missing in Nepal avalanche

6 people went missing while picking a precious Himalayan herb meant for vitality. (Representational)

6 people went missing while picking a precious Himalayan herb meant for vitality. (Representational)
Three bodies were found on Wednesday by security personnel in Nepal after six people went missing while picking a precious Himalayan herb meant for vitality, as avalanches struck two remote mountainous regions of the country, media reports said.

Yarshagumba is a half herb and half insect, believed to have the power to increase vitality and sexual energy. The herb, also known as caterpillar fungus, is found in the high Himalayas.

Security personnel found the bodies of two women and a man, who were among the five people who went missing on Tuesday in an avalanche which occurred in the mountainous area of the Darchula district, MyRepublica newspaper reported.

Snowflake

Snow-laden Sierra gets more snow halfway through spring, up to 15 inches in 48 hours

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The calendar may show spring is halfway to summer, but it's still snowing in California.

In the Sierra Nevada, the Heavenly ski resort at Lake Tahoe reported Wednesday that 15 inches of snow had fallen over 48 hours, burnishing the epic snowpack left by a relentlessly wet winter.

Northwest of Tahoe, 5.5 inches was recorded over two days at the University of California, Berkeley, Central Sierra Snow Lab, raising its season total to 743 inches.

"Another 2.6" of snow over the last 24 hours brings our 2-day total to 5.5" and our season total to 743," researchers at the lab tweeted. "As expected, we're still seeing melt but the rate has slowed due to the clouds and cooler temps."

Strikingly, winter weather advisories were to take effect Wednesday night in Southern California mountain ranges. Forecasters predicted 4-8 inches of snow above 6,000 feet and local totals up to 14 inches.


Snowflake

It's May and snowing in high-altitude areas of Himachal Pradesh, India - up to a foot deep

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It's May and the high-altitude areas of Himachal Pradesh are still receiving snowfall, making the hill destinations more picturesque.

The unseasonal precipitation in the state has pushed down the mercury by several notches, weather experts said on Wednesday.

Tourist spots near Shimla like Kufri and Narkanda have experienced moderate to heavy rains. However, nearby destinations of Manali and Kalpa, 250 km from the capital, witnessed mild spells of snow.

According to HP Traffic, Tourists and Railways Police, heavy snowfall in the Chanshil area blocked roads with one feet snow. "Two JCBs deployed to clear snow and 30 vehicles stranded. Efforts are underway to clear the snow from the road surface," it said.