Storms
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Snowflake Cold

Chaos on Scotland's roads as heavy blizzards batter the UK

Traffic cops try to help the HGV out of the jam
Traffic cops try to help the HGV out of the jam
Deep snow and sleet make conditions extremely treacherous for drivers all over the country

Scotland's roads descended into chaos today after heavy blizzards battered the country - causing a series of nasty crashes.

The dangerous whiteout arrived this morning swamping Lanarkshire before sweeping across the rest of the west of Scotland.

The heavy snow and freezing temperatures caused mayhem for drivers who encountered extremely treacherous conditions on the roads throughout the country.

A number of collisions took place in the Highlands while several other routes were closed due to ice and snow.



A car was left smashed up after it skidded into a lamppost in Lugton earlier today
A car was left smashed up after it skidded into a lamppost in Lugton earlier today

Windsock

Global hurricane force winds and out of season record rainfall, as cosmic rays increase

Squaw Valley hurricane winds
© YouTube/Adapt 2030 (screen capture)
Category 5 hurricane winds in California, Cat 3 winds in Colorado, Cat 4 winds in Europe's blizzards and the media uses a few tweets and a 10 second story to report, but a Cat 1 hurricane and its 24/7 news in summer so the media can hype global warming. All the while refusing to discuss cosmic ray intensity increasing which is the real cause of out of season floods happening globally.


Comment: See these related articles for more information:


Ice Cube

Dangerous long-duration ice storm looming for 1000-mile swath of central U.S.

US forecast map
People from Texas to Ohio are bracing for a long-duration ice storm that could turn destructive and cut power to hundreds of thousands from Friday to Sunday.

A shallow layer of cold air in the atmosphere will accompany a storm over the central United States. The storm will produce a swath of freezing rain along a 1,000-mile swath. As the chilled rain falls on cold surfaces, it will freeze into a glaze of ice.

Untreated sidewalks, streets and highways can turn into a skating rink as a layer of clear, smooth ice forms. The heaviest rain can wash away ice-melting compounds as the storm progresses.

Preceding the main ice storm will be a period of freezing rain and sleet that affect travel in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin during Wednesday night. "Travel is likely to be hazardous for hundreds of miles along Interstate 35, I-40 and I-70 in the Central states from Friday to Sunday," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rossio.

People traveling across the country may want to consider a more southern route. Where temperatures remain below freezing and rain falls at a heavy rate, the ice will continue to accrue for a few days. Ice of 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch thick can occur over a broad area. The thickness of the ice will become substantial enough to weigh down trees and power lines.

Snowflake Cold

Interstate 80 remains closed as blizzard dumps 10 feet of snow on Sierra, California

The CHP Turckee office shared this photo of a patrol vehicle parked next to a snow hill along I-80.
© California Highway Patrol The CHP Turckee office shared this photo of a patrol vehicle parked next to a snow hill along I-80.
A section of Interstate 80 was closed all day Tuesday as dangerous blizzard conditions blasted through the Sierra, bringing several more feet of snow, officials said.

The National Weather Service in Reno issued a blizzard warning about 3:50 a.m. for the Greater Lake Tahoe area, including Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Incline Village and the Nevada town of Stateline.

Intense snowfall rates, near zero visibility and swift winds prompted the weather service to issue the fairly uncommon warning, said Scott McGuire, a meteorologist with the agency.

"Right now, it's kind of a life-threatening situation and people should definitely not attempt to travel in the Sierra," McGuire said. "It's very rare for us to issue a blizzard warning. This storm is definitely a notch above a typical winter storm."

Snow on cars
© California Highway Patrol
Snow blocks road
© California Highway Patrol

Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills two in Chivhu, Zimbabwe

Lightning
Two family members from Chivhu were fatally struck by a bolt of lightning two weeks ago soon after disembarking from a local bus.

Although Mashonaland East provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Nobert Muzondo was unreachable for comment yesterday, sources at the provincial police headquarters said the incident occurred on December 24.

They identified the deceased as Georgina Sigudhu (32) and Orlens Nyabadza (age not given), of Chirume Village, under Chief Mutekedza.

Sources said the two were struck by a bolt of lightning and died on the spot as they walked home.

Officers from Masasa Police Station later attended the scene and took the corpses to Chivhu Hospital for post-mortem.

Attention

Iconic 1,000yo California Pioneer Cabin tree falls victim to winter storm at Calaveras Big Trees State Park

Pioneer Cabin Tree
The powerful winter storm affecting California has claimed its oldest victim; the iconic Pioneer Cabin Tree, which is thought to be up to 1000 years old, was felled yesterday.

Photos of the fallen icon, captured by park volunteer Jim Allday, were posted to the Calaveras Big Trees Association Facebook page, accompanied by the caption: "The Pioneer Cabin tree has fallen! This iconic and still living tree - the tunnel tree - enchanted many visitors. The storm was just too much for it."

Cloud Precipitation

Floods force hundreds of evacuations along northern Nevada mountains

A Santa Clara County Roads and Airport Department worker responds to the scene of downed tree and mudslide on Summit Road in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017.
© Josie LepeA Santa Clara County Roads and Airport Department worker responds to the scene of downed tree and mudslide on Summit Road in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017.
A massive winter storm that could be the biggest to slam the region in more than a decade prompted the evacuation of hundreds of homes in northern Nevada and triggered flooding and mudslides that blocked major highways and stranded motorists in Northern California.

Crews in California cleared trees and debris Sunday following mudslides caused by steady rain accompanying the system that could dump 15 inches in the foothills of the Sierra and heavy snow on the mountain tops before it's expected to move east early Monday. Forecasters warned a second storm is expected to hit the already drenched area Monday night.

In Nevada, emergency officials voluntarily evacuated a total of 400 homes affecting about 1,300 residents in a south Reno neighborhood Sunday afternoon as the Truckee River began to leave its banks and drainage ditches started to overflow south of U.S. Interstate 80.



Sparks firefighters monitor the rising Truckee River, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017, where it runs near the Grand Sierra hotel-casino along a line that divides the cities of Reno and Sparks, Nev.
© Scott SonnerSparks firefighters monitor the rising Truckee River, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017, where it runs near the Grand Sierra hotel-casino along a line that divides the cities of Reno and Sparks, Nev.

Cloud Precipitation

Update: Floods in south Thailand leave 21 dead with over a million affected

Thailand’s DDPM carry out flood rescue and relief operations in Chumphon, January 2017.
© DDPMThailand’s DDPM carry out flood rescue and relief operations in Chumphon, January 2017.
Thailand's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) report that 21 people have now died in the floods affecting southern provinces of the country.

At least 11 provinces are in emergency situations as a result of flooding which has affected over 1 million people. Thai Meteorological Department have forecast further heavy rain until Tuesday, 10 January.

Nakhon Si Thammarat airport closed from 06 January and will possibly re-open today, 09 January. Thai news agency NNT said that the province of Nakhon Si Thammarat has suffered its worst flood crisis in 30 years with 300,000 people affected and seven people dead.

Unusually heavy rain for this time of year, influenced by low depression and the strong northeast monsoon, has caused widespread flooding in southern provinces of Thailand since 01 January, 2017.



Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills man in Dowa, Malawi

Lightning
A 48-year old man has died in Dowa district after being struck by lightning.

Dowa Police Spokesperson Richard Kaponda said the man Zithera Alick on Tuesday went to his garden that is located near Chithowa hills to cultivate.

According to Kaponda, whilst there heavy rains started pouring down in the area and Alick went under a big rock to seek refuge.

Snowflake Cold

Snow and ice covers ground in 49 of 50 states across US

US snow covers Lower 48 states
© NOHRSC/NOAASnow cover analysis of the Lower 48 states early Sunday morning. In the South, sleet accumulations are shown in some areas.
Snow and ice covered the ground in 49 of 50 states this weekend in the wake of Winter Storm Helena.

An analysis of snow cover across the Lower 48 showed that only Florida had no snow or ice on the ground Saturday into early Sunday morning, according to the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center (NOHRSC).

It should be noted that in this depiction of snow cover, sleet accumulations may be shown as well. This is the case for parts of the South after Winter Storm Helena.

The NOHRSC analysis says that 66.4 percent of the Lower 48 was covered by snow or ice as of Sunday morning. That's the highest coverage so far this winter season in the U.S.

Some of the deepest snowpack across the nation was in the northern Plains, Great Lakes snowbelts, northern Maine and the mountain West.

If you are wondering about Hawaii, yes, there was snow on ground there too. This satellite image shows the snow-capped volcanic peaks of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island on Saturday.

Comment: A frigid US: Average temperature 11F