Storms
S


Snowflake

Winter storm brings heavy snow and disrupts travel in Moscow - 70% of monthly average snowfall in a day

mmmmm
© Vasily Kuzmichyonok / Moskva News Agency
Moscow was walloped by a powerful winter storm between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, bringing heavy snow and strong winds that created treacherous road conditions and led to flight delays and cancellations.

Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the Russian capital was expecting more than 70% of the monthly average snowfall throughout Thursday alone.

"Winter is breaking all records. The snowfalls are relentless... Snow will continue throughout the day, the night, and into tomorrow,
" Sobyanin wrote on Telegram.

Meteorologists said snow cover in Moscow stood at 175% of the daily average snowfall for Feb. 19, but it still fell short of a daily record broken in 2024. Blizzard conditions are forecast to continue into Friday morning, they said.


Windsock

5 dead in pile-up crash in Colorado involving over 30 vehicles during severe dust storm with wind gusts of 85 mph

5 dead in Colorado highway crashes
5 dead in Colorado highway crashes
At least five people are dead following a pile-up crash involving dozens of vehicles in Colorado that occurred as high winds blew dirt, making for low to zero visibility, authorities said.

The incident occurred around 10 a.m. local time Tuesday on I-25 near Pueblo, which is about 40 miles south of Colorado Springs, authorities said.

Over 30 vehicles, including seven semis, were involved in the crash, according to Colorado State Patrol. Pickups pulling horse trailers, SUVs and passenger vehicles were also involved, according to Maj. Brian Lyons with Colorado State Patrol.

The pile-up occurred during "adverse weather conditions," Lyons said, with heavy winds blowing dirt and causing "brownout" conditions.

"Visibility was next to nothing," Lyons said during a press briefing Tuesday.



Arrow Down

2 skiers killed in avalanche on popular Mont Blanc skiing route near French-Swiss border

This handout image released by the Italian Alpine Rescue shows the avalanche that killed two men in the Couloir Vesses, a well-known freeride route in Courmayeur, in the upper Val Veny, northern Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026.
© APThis handout image released by the Italian Alpine Rescue shows the avalanche that killed two men in the Couloir Vesses, a well-known freeride route in Courmayeur, in the upper Val Veny, northern Italy, Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026.
Two skiers were killed and another injured Sunday when an off-trail avalanche tore through a popular freeride route on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc massif near the French-Swiss border, officials said.

Three skiers were swept up in the Sunday morning slide along the Couloir Vesses, a well-known off-piste route in Courmayeur's upper Val Veny, according to Italy's Alpine Rescue, The Associated Press reported.

Search and rescue operations involved 15 rescuers, three canine units and two helicopters. One victim was transported to a hospital in serious condition but later died, the agency said.

Authorities said another person was partially buried in an avalanche in Trentino but was pulled to safety by companions.


Arrow Down

8 skiers dead after avalanche near Lake Tahoe

nnnnnnn
Eight people were killed in an avalanche during a backcountry skiing expedition on the California side of Lake Tahoe on Tuesday, authorities said in an update Wednesday.

One person is still missing but presumed dead, officials said, as searchers fight near-whiteout conditions. Six others in the party survived, ranging in age from 30 to 55 years old.

"We did have conversation with the families of the folks that are still outstanding and let them know that our mission went from a rescue to a recovery," Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon told reporters. "It's a difficult conversation to have with loved ones."

The bodies of those killed remain at the scene, where significant avalanche risk persists.

"The risk is still as high with the mission moving to a recovery. We want to really make sure that our first response responders are safe," Moon said.


Tsunami

Bruce Highway cut by flooding as coast cops more than a foot of rain in 24 hours in Queensland, Australia

The Bruce Highway closed due to flooding at Gorganga Creek.
© ABC News: Aimee MitchellThe Bruce Highway closed due to flooding at Gorganga Creek.
The Bruce Highway has been cut north of Mackay as heavy rain lashes parts of the state's east coast.

The major arterial is closed in both directions just south of Proserpine due to rapidly rising floodwater in Goorganga Creek.

Police and councils said they were unsure when the road would reopen.

In the 24 hours to 11am, the O'Connell River at Banana Pocket recorded the highest rainfall in the Mackay-Whitsunday region with more than 322mm.

Stafford received 268mm, and Mt Jukes received 234mm.

Lightning

Lightning strikes ignite more than 100 palm trees in San Pasqual Valley, California

More than 100 trees in a palm tree grove in San Pasqual Valley were ignited by lightning strikes early Tuesday morning.
© Cal Fire San DiegoMore than 100 trees in a palm tree grove in San Pasqual Valley were ignited by lightning strikes early Tuesday morning.
A series of lightning strikes early Tuesday sparked a fire at a grove of palm trees in San Pasqual Valley, burning more than 100 trees, fire officials said.

The fire was reported shortly after 3 a.m. at the property off Highland Valley Road. The trees caught fire after there were "multiple lightning strikes" in the area, said sheriff's Lt. Jason Phillips.

Fire crews from Escondido, San Diego and Cal Fire responded and put out the blaze, which charred around 2 acres. It did not spread to any structures, officials said.

"Crews worked quickly and were able to keep the fire from spreading to another grove nearby," said San Diego Fire-Rescue spokesperson Candace Hadley. She said no one was injured in the blaze.

Several roads in the area were closed as fire crews worked to put out the fire. Streets reopened to traffic shortly after 5 a.m., Phillips said.

Some Cal Fire firefighters returned to the site around 8:30 a.m. after a couple of trees were reported to be still smouldering, a Cal Fire spokesperson said.

Tsunami

Monster storms flood parts of California with rounds of heavy rain as extreme snow slams the Sierra Nevada

Cars pass on flooding water at Sawtelle neighborhood during heavy rain in Los Angeles, California, United States on February 16, 2026.
© Tayfun Coskun/AnadoluCars pass on flooding water at Sawtelle neighborhood during heavy rain in Los Angeles, California, United States on February 16, 2026.
Monday's storms shattered daily rain records and swamped Los Angeles and the Bay Area with flooding.

A flood threat remains for millions across much of the California coast as another round of moisture pushes inland off the Pacific Ocean, after Monday's storms shattered daily rain records. Meanwhile, heavy snow will spread from the Northern California mountain ranges into the southern part of the Sierra, adding to California's snowpack and eventually reaching the Rockies farther east, which are in a dire snow deficit.

Flooding was reported Monday across parts of California, after 1 - 2 inches of rain fell across the Los Angeles Basin and 3 - 5 inches of rain dropped across the Coastal Range north of the Bay Area.

Urban flooding swamped parts of LA, with water rising to the mid-door panels of some sedans in the Westwood neighborhood.

Parts of Topanga Canyon Boulevard in LA's Westside were closed due to debris slides.

Los Angeles was also placed under a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for the fifth time in the past two years. According to the FOX Forecast Center, the county had gone eight years without such a warning (2016 - 2024).


Cloud Precipitation

Best of the Web: Record flooding across France as winter storms fall on saturated ground

Storms have left large parts of France underwater, with record levels of flooding after heavy rain fell on already saturated soil. In Paris, the Seine is four metres above its normal level, forcing the closure of the riverside motorway and some commuter rail stations.
Tonneins
© AFPTonneins, southwest France

Authorities are warning of a "widespread flood event" across France, according to the national flood monitoring service Vigicrues.

Soil moisture levels are at unprecedented levels, and the ground can no longer absorb additional water.

The Garonne River burst its banks in several parts of south-western France, following several extreme weather events, including the violent Storm Nils that tore through France and Spain on Thursday.

Flood levels peaked on Saturday and Sunday in the Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne departments, though Vigicrues warned that the river could continue to flood in the coming hours and could rise again this week with more bad weather.

Comment: It's a similar situation in most of western Europe, from the Iberian Peninsula to the British Isles: endless rain and waterlogged land.

And there's more to come:




Snowflake

Snow buries French Alps as massive storm dumps nearly 7 feet of powder in 5 days

mmmmm
© Tignes.Snowfalls were deep in Tignes.
Snowfall in France this week has been huge, with some resorts seeing more than 2 meters (6.6 feet) in the last five days. A massive winter storm hammered the French Alps from February 10 - 13, unleashing monster snowfall that has buried resorts and reshaped the mountain landscape just days before Valentine's Day weekend.

Across the Northern Alps — including iconic resorts in Haute-Savoie, Savoie, and Isère — weather stations reported extraordinary snow totals. The most snow fell at Grand Montets, part of Mont Blanc Natural Resort, which saw 2.13 meters (6.99) of snowfall in the last five days. Higher elevations above 1,800 - 2,000 meters were especially hard hit, with meters of new snow stacking up in tight time windows. Windy conditions associated with the powerful system also created deep wind slabs, making untouched slopes look like giant pillows of powder... and giant avalanche hazards.


Windsock

Severe dust storm pushes Jerusalem, Tel Aviv to top of global pollution index

Tel Aviv under heavy haze, February 14, 2026.
© Erik Marmor/Flash90Tel Aviv under heavy haze, February 14, 2026.
Widespread dust blanketed Israel on Saturday, reducing visibility in most of the country and sending Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to the top of the global pollution index.

Air quality surveyors ranked Jerusalem and Tel Aviv as the world's most polluted cities, with pollutant levels— specifically fine particles —exceeding "hazardous" levels in many parts of Israel.

Air quality monitoring site IQAir listed the Israeli cities above Almaty, Kazakhstan; Lahore, Pakistan and Kolkata, India.

The Health Ministry recommended that populations sensitive to dust —people with heart or lung conditions, the elderly, children, and pregnant women — avoid strenuous outdoor activity.

Other health recommendations included closing windows, wearing a mask—even indoors —and running an air purifier.