TC "IGGY" off NW Australia

Europe in Global Warming Deep Freeze

Europe shivers in grip of deadly cold spell

By the CNN Wire Staff

January 31, 2012 -- Updated 1852 GMT (0252 HKT)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: Hundreds of villages are cut off by snow in Turkey, with more snow forecast
• 30 people have died in Ukraine since Friday as a result of the cold, officials say
• Eastern Europe has been suffering sub-zero temperatures since Friday
• The frigid air is expected to spread west across Europe as the week goes on

London (CNN) -- Eastern Europe shivered Tuesday in the coldest conditions seen this winter, with below-freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall leading to deaths, frostbite and widespread travel disruption.
Ukraine and Poland are among the worst affected countries, with lows in Kiev and Warsaw of -17 and -16 degrees Celsius (1 and 3 degrees Fahrenheit) respectively, far lower than the average for this time of year.
Ukraine's Emergency Situations Ministry said 30 people have died as a result of the cold since Friday. Twenty-one of the dead were homeless people, whose bodies were discovered on the streets, the ministry said, and four died in their homes.
The ministry said more than 600 people had sought treatment for frostbite and hypothermia over the past five days, with more than 500 of those treated in the hospital.
Thousands of people have sought refuge at government-run shelters as the temperatures have plummeted. About 1,590 heated tents operating across the country are offering warmth, tea and hot meals to those in need, officials said. Another 150 are due to be set up shortly.
Meanwhile, schools and colleges in Kiev have canceled classes until Monday because of the cold, city authorities said.
In Poland, the interior ministry urged people to look out for the elderly and homeless, saying temperatures were set to drop further as the week goes on, especially at night.
CNN meteorologist Mari Ramos said Romania and Bulgaria were among the first Eastern European nations to be affected by cold and heavy snow.
Tuesday morning saw lows of -22 degrees Celsius (-7 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, and -21 degrees Celsius (-5 degrees Fahrenheit ) in Moscow, compared with an average for the time of year of -3 degrees Celsius (25 degrees Fahrenheit) and -12 degrees Celsius (10 degrees Fahrenheit) respectively.
Those temperatures will feel even lower thanks to the wind. For example, the current temperature in Berlin is -6 degrees Celsius (21 degrees Fahrenheit) but feels like -14 degrees Celsius (6 degrees Fahrenheit) to the exposed skin, Ramos said, and hypothermia and frostbite can occur within just a few minutes if people are not properly dressed and protected.
In Slovakia, a 63-year-old man was found dead outside his house in the northern village of Sunava on Monday, the Slovak news agency SITA reported, saying temperatures in the region had dropped to -24 degrees Celsius (-11 degrees Fahrenheit).
In Serbia, one person has died and two are missing after heavy snowfall in the territory of Uzice, according to the state-run Serbian news agency Tanjug. Travel and electricity supplies have been disrupted, and a state of emergency has been declared in a number of districts.
State-owned Bulgarian National Radio said a record low of -29 degrees Celsius (-20 degrees Fahrenheit) had been reached in the northern town of Knezha early Tuesday.
Turkey was bearing the brunt of the snowfall as of Tuesday, with Greece, Albania, Macedonia also seeing heavy snow and below-freezing temperatures.
In Istanbul, all non-essential employees working for the city were given administrative leave, Turkey's semi-official Anatolian news agency reported. The snow is expected to continue through Thursday.
Very low temperatures are reported across Turkey, with heavy snow also expected in areas east of Marmara, central and eastern Black Sea coastal areas, the eastern Mediterranean coast and the east and southeastern parts of the country.
More than 780 villages nationwide have been cut off by heavy snow, Anatolian said. Major highways have also been affected, and much of the country is under a bad weather warning.
Istanbul's Ataturk International airport reopened Monday after snow caused the cancellation of more than 200 Turkish Airlines flights, some to international destinations.
The frigid air is set to move west across Europe and will stay in place through the end of the week, Ramos said, with heavy snowfall forecast for Tuscany and central Italy.
Twenty-three administrative areas in central and southern France have advisories due to snow and cold, while Paris will struggle to climb above freezing for its daytime highs for most of this week.
Temperatures in London will also hover near freezing, but while a few snowflakes dusted the city Tuesday, no significant snowfall is expected, Ramos said.

TC "FUNSO" in the Madagascar Channel

The storm was a major cyclone at this point, and made second land-fall in southern Africa. - HLG

Global Warming Snows Cover NW North America

NOAA's Suomi Observatory First Images

The satellite formerly known as NPP, now re-named Suomi Observatory, in honor of the pioneer of satellite meteorology has collected the first color imagery.  Not sure if this is a mosaic, or just an amazingly wide field of view for a polar-orbiter. - HLG

Biggest Snowfall in Japan History Due to Global Warming

Jan 18, 2012
              
An unusually powerful storm hit the city of Iwamizawa on Monday, leaving behind mounds of snow nearly two metres deep.
              
Scientists say they can't confirm exactly how much snow fell because their measuring instruments were damaged in the blizzard.
              
But the island's meteorological agency said this is the most snow Iwamizawa has been hit with since records began in 1946.
              
Here, the sheer weight of the snow caused the collapse of a wooden roof.
              
The falling structure knocked over several stoves, setting the building ablaze.
              
On Tuesday, many bus and train services remained suspended due to snow on the tracks and roadways.              
        

Expected History Snowfall in Seatlle Due to Global Warming

Historic winter storm likely to blast Northwest

USA Today

Unlike most Northwest storms, snow may fall even at sea level, including in Seattle and Portland.

Up to a foot of snow could blanket the Seattle area, a city that typically sees about 6 inches a year. If 10 inches are measured, it would match the third-biggest snowstorm on record in Seattle, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Johnny Burg in Seattle.

The most recent big snowstorm in Seattle was in November 1985, when 7.8 inches fell, according to the weather service.

The storm and its heavy snowfall could force roads to close in the passes of the Cascades, clog streets with snow and force flight delays and cancellations, AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski says.

Near the coast, he says, the snow will be heavy, wet and difficult to shovel. The combination of the snow and gusty winds could down trees, taking power lines with them.

Light snow prompted some school districts in Washington and Oregon to close or delay opening Tuesday, and delays or closings are likely again Wednesday. Transportation Department trucks were out spraying de-icer and sanding roadways.

The weather service placed winter storm watches and warnings for most of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Several feet of snow could fall in the Cascades and northern Rockies, where avalanche danger is high.

Later Wednesday and into Thursday, the snow should end, Burg says, but rain will begin to fall across western Washington, potentially leading to river flooding this week due to the rain and snow melt.

If the past is any hint, several inches of snow could paralyze Seattle. The city owns relatively few snowplows and Seattle drivers are mostly inexperienced with driving in snow or ice.

"Snow is beautiful to look at, but it's kind of a hindrance for us to work and commute," says John Lee, 23, who works in Seattle and lives in Mill Creek. "The snowstorm is going to cause a little bit more havoc and chaos on the road."

The cold, raw weather isn't confined to the Northwest: In central California, citrus farmers were nervous about a hard freeze that's hit the nation's largest fresh-fruit market this week. The weather service said temperatures dropped to as low as 19 degrees early Tuesday, and hard freeze warnings were in effect again for early Wednesday morning.

"It will be a week before we see what damage there may or may not be," said Dean Thonesen of Sun West Fruit, east of Fresno

Rare January Tornado in Kentucky Confirmed to be Due to Global Warming

Storm Damage Information for Tues, Jan 17th

...EF-1 Tornado Confirmed in Jefferson County Kentucky...Damage Type: Tornado
                 Date: Jan 17 2012
         EF Scale: 1
   Wind Speed: 95 MPH
   Path Length: 4.2 MILES
     Path Width: 250 YARDS


Narrative: An NWS storm survey has confirmed an EF-1 tornado in Jefferson
County, Kentucky.  The tornado touched down near the intersection of I-264 and
Brownsboro Road.  The tornado tracked northeast to near the intersection of
Hurstbourne and Brownsboro Road where it briefly lifted.  The tornado then reformed and crossed
I-265.  The preliminary path length is 4.2 miles with a path width of 250 yards. This
storm survey is ongoing and information in this statement will be updated as it
becomes available.

...EF-0 Tornado Confirmed in Jefferson County Indiana...
Damage Type: Tornado
                 Date: Jan 17 2012
       Start Time: 10:40 AM EST
        End Time: 10:40 AM EST
         EF Scale: 0
   Wind Speed: 85 MPH
   Path Length: 0.3 Miles
     Path Width: 60 Yards

Small TC "Hedi" Spinning off NW Australia

Global Warming Causes "Snopocalypse" in Alaska

Alaska's tale of two cities: one desperate for fuel, another for big shovels

Blitzed by heavy snow and early-season ice in the Bering Strait, two Alaska towns – neither accessible by road – have been cut off from critical supplies, including fuel.

By Gloria Goodale, Staff writer / January 10, 2012

• 

In this photo provided by the Alaska National Guard, guard members help dig out the fishing town of Cordova, Alaska. Dozens of National Guard troops are helping Cordova recover from massive snows that have collapsed roofs, trapped some people in homes and triggered avalanches.

Alaska National Guard/AP

The tiny town of Cordova (pop. 2,300), nestled in Prince William Sound, races to dig out from “snowpocalypse,” its worst snow disaster in living memory, even as new snow falls Tuesday.
A thousand miles to the north, a Russian tanker loaded with critical supplies ekes out a path through treacherous early-season ice toward Nome, bearing the fuel necessary for the tiny hamlet’s winter survival.

IN PICTURES: No business like snow business

Neither town is accessible by road.
While the two emergencies are very different in nature – one completely weather-driven, the second a murky mix of weather problems and human error – both can be seen as rich in lessons for a region that anticipates an increase in vessel traffic through the Bering Strait, and continued extreme winters.
“This is the first time we have ever sent an ice-clearing operation through the early ice,” says Petty Officer 1st Class David Mosley, a spokesman for the US Coast Guard operating out of Anchorage. The Coast Guard ice-breaking ship is clearing the way for the Russian vessel, averaging speeds of between 5 and 9 miles per hour.
Ice-breaking operations normally handle “old” ice, in the spring and summer, he points out, when the ice formations are more predictable.
In this unprecedented operation, the ship is tackling newly-formed ice that is “extremely dynamic,”  and therefore more challenging, says Officer Mosley. “Progress under these conditions is very hard.... I’m sure we will be poring over the lessons learned from this operation for a long time.”
Across the state in Cordova, after 24 straight days of hard snowfall, city officials declared an emergency, and on Friday mounted the first-ever incident command center, complete with a public information officer, a logistics point-person, and a finance officer. Within 19 hours, 57 National Guardsmen were mustered from Anchorage while graders and snow-melting machinery arrived via barges.
Surprising even themselves, says public information officer Allen Marquette, the clean-up effort "has been an amazingly smooth, well-oiled response to a genuine emergency.”
“Our biggest problem is finding more shovels,” says Mr. Marquette. While the large, snow-clearing machinery is hardy “regular shovels break,” and as the town is accessible only by air or sea, “bringing in that sort of equipment is harder to do,” he says.
 Another problem is that snow dumps are maxed out so there is an effort under way to melt the snow, Marquette says. But he can tell by looking out his window that the wind and snow are starting to pick up.
Marquette is quick to point out that because of the well-coordinated effort, there have been no fatalities or serious injuries. He credits the extensive training exercises his town has undertaken over the past several years. Under guidance from Homeland Security, the town has run through scenarios such as a massive plane crash, with nearly half the residents playing victims.
Twenty of the National Guardsmen helping dig out are being housed at the Reluctant Fisherman Inn in Cordova. Owner Greg Meyer says the official response to the crisis couldn’t have been better. “For a town of our size, it’s pretty amazing to have such an efficient response,” he says.
Cordova also benefited from the presence of Guardsman from all over the sate being in nearby Anchorage for a drill status weekend, says Major Guy Hayes of the National Guard in Anchorage. But the increased cooperation between Homeland Security and small towns such as Cordova has been steadily building. It helps that his office is headquartered in the same building as Homeland Security. Each time an emergency comes up, he says, “everyone learns more

Global Warming Out of Control in Alaska 2012

Record-Breaking Snow & Cold In Alaska

January 9th, 2012 at 1:13 am by Chad Evans under Chad's WLFI Weather Blog

It has been one rough, snowy, cold winter in Alaska, even by their standards.  One of the coldest Novembers on record occurred at Fairbanks with temperatures down to -41 mid-month (up to 40 degrees below normal).  In December readings in the latter part of the month averaged 25 degrees below normal with temperatures as low as -50 around Fairbanks.  Recently, temperatures 25 degrees below normal have occurred.
Near Anchorage, the National Guard is trying to get in to help with 18 feet of record snow that has fallen in the past 1-2 weeks.
This where the extreme part of winter is located in what has been a stormy, rough, rough winter in Alaska.  A small chunk of cold will break off from this & bring us cold weather late in the week.  However, the strong-than-normal upper winds near the North Pole of the Polar Vortex will tend to prevent a full dis-lodging of the cold.
A major railway in Austria has been shut down by heavy snowfall of up to 4′ as a parade of storms continue to hammer Europe.  So, parts of Europe & certainly Alaska, are having potent winters.
As for us, this continues to be the warmest winter since 2007 with the least amount of snow since 2007.  It still does not rank in the top 15 warmest or least snowy, however.  We are not close to other warm & even snowless years.  Only 0.3″ of snow had fallen for the winter by January 8 in 1966 (ended up with 8.8″ with the winter, however, in that El Nino winter).  No snow fell in January 1944.

Comet Lovejoy Rises over the Andes

Comet Lovejoy above the Andes (Part 1: 23/12/2011) from Stéphane Guisard on Vimeo.

TC Benilde Says Happy New Year

TC Benilde (04S) on New Year's, at closest approach to Diego Garcia. - HLG

Large Plankton Bloom off South Africa

But for the life of me I can't remember if cold eddies go counter-clockwise in the southern hemisphere or not, but this one is definitely in an eddie of some kind, that the plankton really find a lovely home. -HLG

Large Midwestern/NE Snowstorm Late Next Week?

Tuscaloosa Tornado Track

The high-res photo shows the damage from Spring 2011's Tuscaloosa tornado, which you can see passed very near (just over a mile) from the University of Alabama's main campus, and the Tide's football stadium. - HLG