Storms
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Better Earth

Stillaguamish River Reaches Record Flood Stage

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© Jim FormanThe Stillaguamish River at Arlington
Record rainfall has flooded roads and triggered mudslides in Western Washington. King County road closures.

"Many areas around the region picked up anywhere from 3/4" of rain at Whidbey Island to 5.68" at Bremerton on Sunday!" said KING 5 Meteorologist Jim Guy. "Since midnight, SeaTac has recorded 2.20". That's a new daily maximum record."

The Stillaquamish River reached record flood stage Sunday afternoon, tying the record set in November of 2006. About 230 homes and businesses in Granite Falls near the Stillaguamish River have been asked to evacuate.

Severe and possibly near-record flooding is also predicted in on the Snohomish River near Monroe and the city of Snohomish. Weather forecasters say deep and swift flood waters will inundate many roads, including Highway 530 east of Arlington and most valley roads downstream of Interstate 5 to Stanwood.

Igloo

US: Storm Socks Midwest, Cancels Flights, Closes Roads

Winter Storm
© AP Photo/Craig Lassig
Chicago - A powerful, gusty storm dumped mounds of snow across the upper Midwest on Sunday, closing major highways in several states, canceling more than 1,600 flights in Chicago and collapsing the roof of the Minnesota Vikings' stadium.

At least two weather-related deaths were reported as the storm system dropped nearly 2 feet of snow in parts of Minnesota and marched east. A blizzard warning was in effect Sunday for parts of eastern Iowa, southeastern Wisconsin, northwestern Illinois and northern Michigan, according to the National Weather Service. Surrounding areas, including Chicago, were under winter storm warnings. Much of Iowa was under a wind-chill advisory.

In Minneapolis, the heavy snow left the Metrodome decidedly unready for some football. Video inside the stadium aired by Fox Sports showed the inflatable Teflon roof sagging before it tore open, dumping massive amounts of snow across one end of the playing field.

No one was hurt but the Vikings' game against the New York Giants had to be moved to Detroit's Ford Field. The day of the game had already been pushed back from Sunday to Monday because the storm kept the Giants from reaching Minneapolis on time. Stadium officials were trying to repair the roof in time for the Vikings' next home game, Dec. 20 against Chicago.

Igloo

Ice Age Alert! Central England has coldest introduction to winter since 1659!

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© Press Association
"The central England Temperature (CET) from the 1st-7th of December is -1.9, making this the coldest opening week of December since 1879," says meteorologist Joe Bastrardi.

With 1879 being the coldest opening week on CET record, this week has been the second coldest opening week to December since CET records began in 1659.

Those records are for a one-week period.

When you look at the two-week period, says Bastardi, the last week of November and the first week of December, it's the coldest since CET records began in 1659.

This puts central England back to the temperatures of the Little Ice Age.

And there's more to come, Bastardi warns.

"Preparation for renewal of extreme cold from France to Scandinavia and west through the UK should be made."

See entire article

Bizarro Earth

Huge Storm Hits East Mediterranean

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© Agence France-PresseFishing boats were damaged in Lebanon as the storm smashed into the country's coastline, killing one person
Deaths as rain, snow and high winds lash Eastern Mediterranean, bringing months of drought to a dramatic end.

An enormous storm has battered the eastern Mediterranean over the weekend, causing destruction in several countries and bringing to a dramatic end months of drought.

Lebanon, Israel, Syria, Jordan and Egypt were all hit by severe weather, with lashing rain, hail, snow and standstorms wreaking havoc across the region.

In Lebanon, 10 metre waves smashed into the coastline as wind speeds topped 100 kilometres an hour on Saturday. A woman was killed when her car was crushed in the northern city of Tripoli, and four small planes were flipped over at Beirut's airport.

By Sunday, the rain had turned to snow in the country's mountains, leaving drivers stranded on frozen roads. Meanwhile coastal roads were closed as fishing boats were smashed to pieces by enormous waves.

In Israel, a Moldovan freighter sank in the storm off the coast of Ashdod after its 11 crew members were rescued, and a Russian tourist was feared dead after being swept into the sea.

Snowflake

Minneapolis Metrodome Roof Collapses Due to Blizzard

The Metrodome, home to the Minneapolis Vikings, is known for being able to handle massive amounts of snow. However, this weekend's blizzard in the Midwest may actually be too much even for the Metrodome! According to KARE-TV and ESPN, the roof of the Metrodome has collapsed due to heavy snow and winds.

The collapsed reportedly happened around 5 a.m. Sunday morning. The teflon roof is an inflatable roof which covers the Mall of America field during inclement weather.
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© (twitpic: BTBarandBrewery)Metrodome roof after it collapsed

Bizarro Earth

US: Unusually Cold Weather Killing Florida's Manatees

Unusually cold weather last winter killed Florida's endangered manatees at a record rate, a report said on Friday.

During 2010, a record 699 manatees have died in Florida, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Research Institute.

Of those, 244 were attributed to cold weather and many of the 271 undetermined deaths were also likely caused by weather. In most years, the leading cause of manatee deaths is from collisions with power boats.

The latest surveys estimate there are only about 5,000 of the chubby marine mammals left in Florida waters.

"We are very concerned about the unusually high number of manatee deaths this year," Gil McRae, the director of the institute, said in a statement. "The cold-related deaths this past winter emphasize the importance of warm weather habitat to the Florida manatee."

The previous record of 429 manatee deaths was set in 2009 but only 56 of those were caused by cold weather.

Igloo

Best of the Web: United Kingdom Freezing: 35,000 Deaths Feared in New Artic Blizzards

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© unkExperts predict a dramatic increase in cold-related fatalities
Death rates are set to soar "scandalously" this winter as a new Arctic blast batters Britain with temperatures on a par with Siberia.

Experts predict a dramatic increase in cold-related fatalities as we suffer the bitterest winter in a century, causing 12 deaths every hour.

Britons face spiralling energy bills while the death toll this winter could reach 35,000.

There are also fears some mail may not reach its destination by Christmas Day because of the freeze.

Forecasters said temperatures could plummet to record lows in the run-up to Christmas, putting tens of thousands of vulnerable people at risk.

Charities warned of pensioners suffering "Dickensian" conditions, resorting to riding on buses or huddling in shopping centres just to keep warm.

Millions of Britons are being forced to turn down their thermostats as gas and electricity prices spiral.

Cloud Lightning

Storms, winds of over 100 km per hour hit Israel, Egypt

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© Reuters/Amr Abdallah DalshCairo was hidden in fog during cold weather on Saturday
Winds of over 100 km per hour lashed Israel on Saturday, knocking down power lines and trees and sweeping one person into the sea. Egypt closed 10 ports because of high waves and sandstorms.

In the Israeli coastal city of Netanya, a 41-year-old Russian tourist was blown off the promenade into the sea and was missing and feared dead, public radio reported.

Police were unable to search for the missing man because of the stormy seas, it reported.

The winds knocked down power lines and trees, causing power cuts across Israel, said the state-run Electricity Company. The Parks Authority shut several nature reserves in the southern Negev desert because of the possibility of flash floods.

Snowman

Canada: Newfoundland Frozen Waves

This strange weather phenomenon happened in Newfoundland where the waves were actually frozen as they crashed on the beach.

Snowman

Upper Midwest pummeled by strengthening blizzard

midwest snow storm
© CNNAn iReporter took this shot of a snowplow in Rochester, Minnesota. Parts of the state already had 23 inches of snow this month.
Much of the upper Midwest battled blizzard conditions Saturday, with a combination of heavy snow, fierce winds and sub-zero temperatures pummeling the region 10 days before the official start of winter.

A blizzard warning, issued by the National Weather Service, stretched from South Dakota to Wisconsin and down to Missouri and Illinois. The storm was expected to dump between 15 and 20 inches of snow in some locales.

The storm will likely gain strength during Saturday, before bearing down on the Chicago, Illinois, area, the weather service said.