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