THE NEXT ICE AGE - NOW!

Whistler to break November snowfall record today - and it's only the 19th  19 Nov 09 - “We have already received one third of our average annual snowfall for the entire season and it’s only four days into the season."
See Whistler to break November snowfall record today

 

Heavy snow in Spanish Pyrenees - 10 Nov 09 - Spain’s two largest ski areas of Baqueira Beret and Formigal, both located in the Pyrenees mountains which separate the country from France, have reported heavy snowfall over the past 48 hours and say they will now open ‘shortly’- hinting at an early opening as a result of all the snow.

It’s the latest of the world’s major mountain ranges to report heavy snow – the Alps, Dolomites and Rockies have all seen up to 1.5m (five feet) of snow in recent days and weeks.
http://www.fasttrackski.co.uk/ski-news/general-ski/heavy-snow-in-the-spanish-pyrenees-2009 11104836.php
Thanks to Josh Cooley for this link

Italian Dolomites Dominate Ski Reports With Early Snow
18 Nov 09 - The Italian Dolomites are seeing excellent early snowfall, with reports of up to 160cm of fresh powder in just seven days.
http://www.onthesnow.com/news/a/9063/italian-dolomites-dominate-ski-reports-with-early-sno w
Thanks to Josh Cooley for this link 

Italian ski resorts killing it with record snow - 18 Nov 09 – Excerpts – The Italian Dolomites have been receiving serious snowfall, with reports of over five feet of fresh powder in just one week. Most resorts are set to open later this month and in early December.

Val Gardena, home of a famous downhill where U.S. Ski Team athlete Scott Macartney stepped up onto the medals podium is seeing a ton of the white stuff. They recently received about four feet of snow in a matter of days. Cortina d'Ampezzo… has received the bountiful five feet in seven days.
http://ow.ly/162o5t
Thanks to Josh Cooley for this link

Early Arctic Chill Grips Eastern Asia - 12 Nov 09 - High temperatures throughout Siberia in eastern Russia have averaged 10 to 15 degrees below normal for the month of November so far. In Beijing, high temperatures failed to climb out of the 30s Tuesday and Wednesday. The normal high for the middle of November is near 50.
http://www.startribune.com/weather/69959452.html?elr=KArks:DCiUBDEaLDyUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU
Thanks to Tom Chart for this link

7,000 buildings collapse in China under heaviest snow on record
13 Nov 09 – "Unusually early snowstorms" in northern China have caused more than half a billion dollars in damage, including the collapse of more than 7,000 buildings, and damage to 297,000 acres (120,000 hectares) of crops.
See 7,000 buildings collapse in China under heaviest snow on record

 

Whistler opening 12 days earlier than expected - 11 Nov 09 – Whistler Mountain Spokesperson Tabetha Boot says Saturday's opening is thanks to heavy snowfall over the past few days, "We've had just a truckload in the last week or so. The base measured today up at Pig Alley is about 90cms and we have another 65cms in the forecast."

Sun Peaks near Kamloops is also opening this week thanks to the heavy snowfall. Wax ‘em up!

See entire article:
http://www.cknw.com/Channels/Reg/NewsLocal/Story.aspx?ID=1163813
Thanks to Alan Stover for this link

Such a cold October has occurred only four times in the past 100 years, the last time in 1945.

The heaviest October snowfall since 1967 occurred in Hawke's Bay and the central  North Island on October 4 and 5 stranding hundreds of travellers, closing roads, and resulting in heavy lambing losses.

It was also wet, with near-record rainfall (more than 200 percent of normal) in parts of Hawke's Bay, Gisborne and the Tararua district, and well-above normal in the remaining east  of the North Island, as well as Wellington, Marlborough and parts of Canterbury.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/3026646/Coldest-October-in-64-years
Thanks to Joe D’Aleo for this link

Coldest October in New Zealand in more than 25 years
2 Nov 09 – New Zealanders have just shivered through the
coldest October in more than 25 years - not long after they
enjoyed the warmest August on record, says a climate analyst.
See Coldest October in NZ in more than 25 years

 

Prepare for winter or Britain will grind to a halt again, says LGA
30 Oct 09 – The country is ill-prepared for further sub-zero conditions, says
the Local Government Association (LGA). A Met Office spokeswoman said there was a 'one-in-seven' chance of a cold winter.
See Prepare for winter or Britain will grind to a halt again

Snow in Beijing 1 Nov 09 - "Usually there are only two or three snows that accumulate like this one in an entire winter here. As I write to you, it is still snowing – large fluffy flakes. And it is November 1st." See Snow in Beijing

No global warming in New Zealand
26 Oct 09 - Email from a reader in New Zealand
See No global warming in New Zealand

 

First October start for ski season in Germany in 8 years - 24 Oct 09 - Some 1,500 skiers and snowboarders defied the climate change doomsayers to usher in the new season on Germany's highest mountain - the Zugspitze near Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria – on Saturday, the first time that the season has started in October in eight years..

Around 1.2 metres of snow have been measured on the mountain, plus a 10-centimetre covering of fresh powder snow.
http://www.thelocal.de/sport/20091024-22797.html
Thanks to Hamish Mackenzie for this link

Early snowfall in Central Europe brings chaos - 20 Oct 09 – “Days of heavy snow have brought chaos, death and an early start to the skiing season to parts of Europe.”

“Skiers are being told they can expect a sensational season after three feet of snow led many Alpine resorts to open two weeks early.”

But the unseasonably early cold snap also cut power to thousands of homes and snuffed out lives in southern Poland, where three people froze to death..

Pistes are already open in Austria, and there has also been heavy snow in France, Italy and Switzerland. Similar early falls last year saw the best conditions in Europe for more than 20 years.

In the Czech Republic thousands of homes were left with- out power after blizzards brought down power lines.  
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/135021/Chaos-in-the-snow-as-winter-bites-early
Thanks to Hans Verbeek for this link

Heavy snow hits Central Europe – More to come - 14 Oct 09 – “Poland deployed troops and snow ploughs on Wednesday after snow and powerful winds cut off power supplies to as many as 700,000 people in storms which swept Central Europe,” said this article from Reuters.

Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned of more snow to come.

"The snow is continuing to fall all the time. The situation is fast-moving. All our brigades are out in the field, trying to deal with the situation," Katarzyna Burda-Mazurek, a spokeswoman for Poland's PGE power company, told the PAP state news agency.

“Austria's Alps recorded the biggest October snowfalls in 25 years, with as much as 75 cm (30 inches) in the mountainous regions around Salzburg and up to 40 cm (16 inches) in the region bordering Switzerland.”

Ukrainians also suffered freezing temperatures as authorities who control the heating to entire apartment blocks had not yet turned it on, while tens of thousands of Ukrainians were also without electricity.

See entire article:
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/news/international/Central_Europe_hit_by_heavy_snow_high_winds .html?siteSect=143&sid=11353748&cKey=1255549977000&ty=ti
Thanks to Joe D’Aleo for this link

All-time October low in Bavaria - 20 Oct 09 - Meteorologists on Tuesday morning recorded the lowest ever October temperature in Germany, as the mercury dipped to a chilly -24.3 degrees Celsius in Bavaria’s Berchtesgaden national park. The bitter cold was measured at the Funtensee, a notoriously frosty lake high in the Bavarian Alps.
http://www.thelocal.de/society/20091020-22693.html
Thanks to Mike McEvoy, Benjamin Napier and Lance Hamilton for this link

Storm now heading for Ireland & Britain predicted 100days ago -
Snow likely to follow - 18 Oct 09 – Piers Corbyn, astrophysicist and forecaster of WeatherAction, now predicts early blasts of winter in November (not ‘Barbecue Autumn weather' of others). Major North Sea Storm Surge 17-19 Nov. East Coast & Holland under threat. Bitter North winds and snow likely to follow. 

See: http://www.weatheraction.com/docs/WANews09No75.pdf
See also: GO TO:  http://www.weatheraction.com/displayarticle.asp?a=98&c=1

Snow across Central and Eastern Europe - 15 Oct 09 - As an area of low pressure swirls over eastern Europe, snow will develop from the Alps (12-25 cm) northeastward into western Russia over the next several days. Upwards of 12 cm could accumulate over portions of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, southern Poland and eastern Germany.
http://www.accuweather.com/news-story.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=0&article=8
Thanks to Kenneth Lund for this link

Significant snow in Argentina’s Southern Andes - 19 Oct 09
Hi Robert,
The Southern Andes in Argentina are getting significant snow. Some areas received 60-100 inches of new snow and more is forecast.

Here is the link to the Snow-Forecast.com website showing how much snow the Southern Andes region received this past week:
http://www.snow-forecast.com/maps/dynamic/andes_south
Regards, Josh Cooley

Czech Republic: Most snow in 100 years - 16 Oct 09
Hi Robert,

In the Czech Republic there has been heavy snow for three straight days at elevations over 2000 feet. Snowfall amounts for this early in the season are not completely unprecedented, but many places have the most October snow in 50 to 100 years, and it is still falling.

See http://zpravy.idnes.cz/na-lyse-hore-napadl-stolety-snih-bez-elektriny-je-60-tisic-mist-pu4 -/domaci.asp?c=A091016_073941_domaci_adb

Tens of thousands of customers are without electric power, and a thermal plant has failed that provides heat to thousands of residents of one Czech city.

Kind regards,
Mark Newkirk
Prague, Czech Republic

Early snow records set to be broken in Austria - 12 Oct 09 - Austria’s provincial capitals are expected to see their earliest snowfalls in history today as Arctic air sweeps the country.
See Early snow records set to be broken in Austria

 

Major snow in Austria - 15 Oct 09 – Email from a reader
Hi Robert, 

Spotted this in the Dutch online newspaper:
Austria, 14 Oct 09: More snow than for the past 25 years; 40cm and strong winds, causing massive power cuts as well. Pictures as well as words.

Must be that pesky carbon dioxide causing global warming, what d'ya think?!

Best regards, Hans Schreuder

http://www.telegraaf.nl/buitenland/5070453/__Sneeuw_in_Oostenrijk__.html?p=5,2

Here's a link in English:
http://austriantimes.at/news/General_News/2009-10-12/17147/Early_snow_records_set_to_be_br oken

Earliest October Snowfall on record in Southern Germany
15 Oct 09 – Email from reader
Hi Robert,

I live in Southern Germany near Munich where a blast of cold Arctic air is causing well below normal temps and the first snowfall of the season all the way down into the lower flatlands. Many trees that are still green are now turning white. I checked the local weather records and it shows that today (Oct. 15) is the earliest snowfall for October since Oct. 28, 1972. Today could also easily break the record for the most snowfall for any day in the month of October. Temperatures are averaging some 10 to 15 degrees below normal. Normally the first snow begins around mid November but the trend over the past 5 years shows that each year the first snowfall has been starting much earlier. Anyone who still believes in Global Warming is in my opinion ignorant and blind to the truth!!  Sorry, Al Gore!

 Thanks, Thomas L.

Winter arrives early in Germany - 13 Oct 09 - Snow caused a massive 18-car pileup on the A20 motorway east of Lübeck on Tuesday morning, as the first wintry weather of the season hit broad swaths of Germany. The huge accident forced closure of the autobahn heading towards Lübeck.

Early in the morning, the German Weather Service (DWD) had forecast that many parts of the country would see the first signs of winter on Tuesday, with the snowfall limit dropping to lower elevations.

Four centimetres of snow fell upon the Brocken, the highest mountain in northern Germany. The white stuff also covered the Fichtelberg in the state of Saxony.

Snow is also likely in the Alps and low mountain ranges in the south and east of the country as Arctic air sweeps through the country, the DWD said.
http://www.thelocal.de/national/20091013-22535.html
Thanks to Hamish Mackenzie for this link

Early snow records set to be broken in Austria - 12 Oct 09 - Austria’s provincial capitals are expected to see their earliest snowfalls in history today as Arctic air sweeps the country.
See Early snow records set to be broken in Austria

 

Low temp records shattered in Alberta - 12 Oct 09 – An Arctic surface ridge and clearing skies produced record lows this morning in parts of Alberta. Several of these records have stood since the 1880s and 1890s. 

Location                            Today     Record     Year           Period of  
                                           Min         Min                           Record
Banff                                 -22.0       -14.0        2002       1893-2009
Rocky Mountain House     -19.0       -12.1        2002       1917-2009
Cold Lake                         - 8.1       - 6.2         2002       1953-2009
Red Deer                          -14.7       -11.1        1961       1904-2009 Lethbridge                        -16.7       -13.5        2002       1886-2009 Calgary                             -16.1       -13.3        1928       1884-2009
Pincher Creek                   -19.5       -12.8        2002       1893-2009 Sundre                              -21.0       -13.6        2002       1985-2009
Waterton Park Gate          -24.3       -16.6        2002       1966-2009
http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/warnings/SWS_bulletins_e.html?prov=ab 
Thanks to Lance Appleby for this link

Record lows in B.C. - 10 Oct 09 - Issued by Environment Canada. The interior’s first taste of Arctic air resulted in a number of record cold temperatures last night.

Station                      low       old record     records began

Sparwood               -14.5    -8.4 / 1987     1980
Cranbrook              -12.5    -7.1 / 1987     1968
Williams Lake          -11.9    -9.4 / 1972     1961
Quesnel                   -11.3    -7.8 / 1972     1946
Golden                    -10.8    -8.3 / 1919     1902
Kelowna a               -10.7    -5.9 / 1977     1968
Princeton                 -10.5    -5.5 / 1987     1938
Blue River                 -9.3    -6.6 / 1987     1970
Penticton                   -8.3    -2.8 / 1977     1941
Kamloops                 -8.2    -3.3 / 1957     1951
Revelstoke a             -6.4    -0.9 / 2006     1990 
http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/warnings/SWS_bulletins_e.html?prov=bc
Thanks to Lance Appleby for this link

Even if this was the middle of winter this is extreme
6 Oct 09 – New Zealand: Two major North Island highways remain closed
this morning after unseasonal heavy snow in the last two days stranded motorists for two nights. "Even if this was the middle of winter this is extreme," said WeatherWatch head analyst Philip Duncan.
See Even if this was the middle of winter this is extreme

Hundreds of motorists trapped by snow in New Zealand - 5 Oct 09

Hi Robert,
Taupo centre North Island had state of emergency declared because of very heavy snow. Hundreds of trapped motorists have had to be rescued. Chilly air from Antarctica mixed with warm moist low is making things very interesting over East Cape region, looks like its going to be chilly for a few days more.
Tony Andrew, New Zealand

Italy - Nine inches of rain in three hours - 3 Oct 09 - Torrential rainfall - as much as nine inches in just three hours - inundated Sicily, Italy, Thursday night, unleashing deadly mudslides, killing more than a dozen people and injuring at
least 40 others.

Rivers of muddy water-bearing trees and other debris gushed down mountainsides and swept into villages, knocking over buildings, burying vehicles, and forcing many people to flee to the roofs of their homes.
http://www.accuweather.com/news-story.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=0&article=7
Thanks to Kenneth Lund for this link

Vietnam - WeatherAction warns of further serious developments imminent:
28 Sep 09 - 'Worst possible scenario for Vietnam landfall.
                 - Pacific Tropical Storms 18 & 19 ('Parma') may miss
                   Philippines but intensification and/or a new storm is likely in region.
                   See www.weatheraction.com   

Record cold and spring snow down under - 28 Sep 09 - With the temperature hovering around 6 degrees for most of the day and peaking at 8.1 degrees, Canberra had its coldest September day in 40 years yesterday.

Light snow fell as low as 700 metres on the mountains surrounding Canberra, said forecaster Paul Corello from the Bureau of Meteorology. That’s unusual, said Corello.

The New South Wales Snowy Mountain ski fields also saw heavy snow.

"We've had 30 centimetres of the lightest and driest snow received this season," said Neil Thew from Perisher Ski Resort. "We've had snow down to 600 metres which is remarkable for this time of year."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/09/28/2698183.htm
Thanks to Joe D’Aleo for this link

“Epic conditions” for New Zealand Big Mountain Day - 14 Sep 09 - "The action and excitement for the Big Mountain Day went far beyond any other snow event held in the Southern Hemisphere this winter, as epic snow and weather conditions (italics added) greeted athletes competing in the 2nd day of competition of the World Heli Challenge 

"The event was held on Mt Albert, a daunting mountain peak standing 2000m above sea level overlooking the headwaters of Lake Wanaka."
http://www.theskichannel.com/news/skinews/20090914/Epic-Conditions-for-the-World-Heli-Challenge-Big-Mountain-Day
Thanks to Josh Cooley for this link

NZ ski resort breaks snowfall record by more than a meter - 9 Sep 09  Excerpt: New Zealand's Cardrona Alpine Resort has broken its accumulated snowfall record by over a metre, with 317cm of snowfall this season. The previous biggest year on record was 2004 (213cm).
ifyouski.com: http://www.ifyouski.com/news/newsarticle/?ObjectID=8825516 
Thanks to Josh Cooley for this link

 

First snow of the season in the Alps - 16 Sep 09 – “It is snowing down to Morenia (2500m) but not yet in the village. "There's approximately 20cm of new powder on the top of the resort at the Allalin (3500m)," says Nadia Reusser from the resort. In neighbouring Zermatt it is a similar picture.

"We have had around 10cm and there is a forecast for more snow later this week," says Thomas Schetty from the Swiss resort's lift company.

“In Austria, the Grossglockner pass had 10cm of snow with some roads closed and the authorities ordered drivers to put chains on their vehicles.

“The Malta highway in Carinthia was closed beyond Kölnbrein, and the Sölk Pass linking Murau and the Enns Valley in Styria was also shut according to the Austrian car club, OAMTC.”

Snow has also fallen across many other high areas in The Alps.

See pictures from web cams across The Alps:
http://www.planetski.eu/news/821
See also:
http://www.theskichannel.com/news/skinews/20090916/
Theres-SNOW-in-Them-Mountains-First-Winter-Storms-Hit-Alps
Thanks to Josh Cooley for these links

 

Antarctic Cold Front Triggers Deadly Argentine Twister
11 Sep 09 - Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil were raked by a powerful late-winter cold front that spawned at least one deadly tornado along with hail and high winds.

At least 10 people were killed by a twister that tore through San Pedro, in the northeastern Argentine province of Misiones.

“It was something never seen here before,” said San Pedro mayor Orlando Wolfart, adding that several homes had been knocked from their foundations. “The forest is gone, houses, the Santa Rosa neighborhood had a health center inaugurated three years ago, and it's gone,”

In the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarine, four people died when high winds knocked over 90 houses.

In Paraguay, severe storms brought large hail that damaged hundreds of homes as well as large tracts of crops.

In the Uruguayan capital of Asuncion, temperatures plunged from 95F to 54F — more than a 40 degree drop.

http://www.earthweek.com/2009/ew090911/ew090911c.html
Thanks to Charles Patrick for this link

New Zealand - Wet, record cold forecast for 2010
30 Aug 09 - Weather expert Ken Ring, who has a surprisingly accurate
record, has predicted a wet and cooler summer next year, followed by a
winter that lasts a month longer than this year, with record-breaking cold
snaps during March and April - the coldest on record in half a century.
See New Zealand - Wet, record cold forecast for 2010

 

Frost Watch for Major Agricultural Areas – Upper Midwest and Canadian Prairies - 28 Aug 09 – Expect chilly conditions across parts of the Upper Midwest and Canadian Prairies. A light frost is possible Saturday night in the wheat, canola and barley areas of eastern Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
http://www.accuweather.com/news-story.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=0&article=9 
Thanks to Kenneth Lund for this link

Severe rain in the west of Ireland...again - 24 Aug 09 – An elderly brother and sister had to be rescued from their home in Co Clare yesterday morning after torrential downpours left them standing knee-high in water in their kitchen.

Several areas of the county were badly affected by yesterday’s heavy rain, and several roads remained impassable last night.

Warning signs were erected across Donegal, and for a while there were fears that parts of Gweedore faced a repeat threat of the devastation caused to the village of Derrybeg by flash floods in June.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0824/1224253138277.html  
Thanks to Danno Dunne for this link

Blizzard to Hit Chile - 20 Aug 09 – “A potent storm system moving toward southern Chille will produce a blizzard in the southern Andes Friday. More than 12 inches (30 cm) of snow is expected.
http://www.accuweather.com/news-story.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=0&article=8
Thanks to Tom Meyer for this link

Record low temps in Canada - 5 Aug 09
Location                  low temp         previous record/year
Saskatoon              2.9(37.2F)           5.0(41F)/1917
North Battleford     1.9(35.4F)           3.9(39F)/1932
Rosetown               2.8(37F)             3.9(39F)/1953
http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/warnings/SWS_bulletins_e.html?prov=sk

 

Austria - First 6 months of the year 2nd wettest in 190 years - 5 Aug 09 
"The first six months of the year were the second wettest in 190 years in 
northern and eastern Austria, the Central Agency for Meteorology and 
Geodynamics (ZAMG) in Vienna reported last week.

"ZAMG climatologist Alexander Orlik said rainfall in northern and eastern 
Austria had been 147 per cent of the average for the period during the past 
190 years – just behind the first six months of 1965 when precipitation was 
153 per cent of normal." 
http://www.austriatoday.at/cgi-bin/at_art.pl?id=67851

Thanks to Jimmy Walter for this link

Major Storm Striking Southern South America - Snowflakes expected in Buenos Aires - 20 Jul 09 - The storm will whip up a range of adverse weather affecting not only Argentina, but Uruguay, Paraguay and southern Brazil, too.

Cold air blasting northward out of Patagonia will instigate the coldest weather of the Southern winter thus far. Moreover, the cold will turn rain to snow on Tuesday night and Wednesday in areas of Argentina`s southern Pampas. Rare snowflakes may even reach the city of Buenos Aires.
http://www.accuweather.com/news-story.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=0&article=8
Thanks to Kenneth Lund for this link

Record low temperatures at 13 sites in Saskatchewan –
one going back to 1900, another to 1911 - 16 Jul 09

Station         temperature   old record   year
Broadview               4.4             5.0         1976
Elbow                      4.2             7.5         1999
Estevan                    3.7             7.2         1911
Meadow Lake         4.0             5.3         1985
Moose Jaw              4.9             6.7         2003
Nipawin                   4.4             5.3         2000
North Battleford      4.8             6.7         1969
Prince Albert           3.3             5.0         1900
Regina                     2.4             4.4         1906
Rosetown                5.6             6.0         1979
Saskatoon               4.4             5.6         1969
Watrous                  5.0             5.4         2000
Wynyard                 3.5             7.0         1982
http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/warnings/SWS_bulletins_e.html?prov=sk

Winter arrives three months early in Peru killing 246 children under the age of five - 12 Jul 09 - This year freezing temperatures arrived almost three months earlier than usual in Peru’s southern Andes. “The extreme cold, which has brought snow, hail, freezing temperatures and strong winds, has killed more children than recorded annually for the past four years.

 “A total of 246 under the age of five have died so far, only half way through the winter months."

“Experts blame climate change for the early arrival of intense cold which began in March.”

            Are we really supposed to believe that global warming
            caused “the early arrival of intense cold”? Oh yes, we're
            supposed to call it “climate change” now, aren’t we?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8146995.stm
Thanks to Matt Knight and John Brown in Ardrossan, Scotland for this link

Coldest May on record in New Zealand – 2^nd coldest June
10 Jul 09 - Niwa senior climate scientist Georgina Griffiths said May "broke records from one end of the country to the other - it was the coldest May on record."

It was wet too, with double the normal rainfall for May in Wairarapa, Canterbury and Otago while much of Northland, Auckland, Wellington and Southland got at least 150 percent of normal May rainfall.

June didn't fare much better as Ngawi saw the mercury plunge to just 6.6C on June 16 - the lowest daily maximum temperature on the books.

Wairarapa, alongside most of the lower North Island, experienced the second-coldest June in recorded history, with Ngawi and Martinborough reporting average maximum daytime temperatures of 11.6C and 11.9C respectively.

Ms Griffiths said these temperatures were 1.5C lower than what is typical for June - a pattern repeated across the lower North Island.

See entire article by Matt Stewart
http://www.times-age.co.nz/local/news/may-the-coldest-on-record-niwa-figures-show/3901165/
Thanks to Benjamin Napier and Steven Woodcock for this link

Britain's heaviest rain since records began in 1865
8 Jul 09 - All I can say is “Look out this winter.”
See Britain's heaviest rainfall since records began in 1865

Frost warnings for Canada … in July! - 7 Jul 09 - Environment Canada - “A ridge of high pressure building towards Newfoundland from Québec will bring mostly clear skies to central and eastern Newfoundland tonight with light winds. This combined with an unseasonably cool air mass will cause pockets of frost to form as temperatures fall to near the freezing mark. The more sheltered and low-lying areas are expected to be the coldest and most prone to receiving the frost.
http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html?nl11

15 day’s worth of rain in Dublin in one hour - Dublin Airport recorded 15 days of average rainfall in one hour last night. Met Éireann says more heavy rain is forecast tonight, but a repeat of last night's rainfall is 'inconceivable'.

Water levels on roads, which caused major traffic disruption earlier, have now subsided in many parts of the city and clean-up operations are underway.

The Mater Misericordiae Hospital was also affected by the heavy rains, where a roof collapsed in the old part of the hospital forcing patients to be moved from one ward.
See: http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0702/dublin.html 
          Just imagine if all of that precipitation had fallen in the winter!
          That's how ice ages begin.
Thanks to Danno Dunne at www.laoisweather.com for this link

Best skiing in New Zealand in 25 years
2 Jul 09 – Email from reader in New Zealand
Hi Robert,
In April, the New Zealand National Institute Water and Atmosphere (NIWA) stated that over the three months of May, June, and July, average or above average temperatures were likely across the whole country.

Now they’ve toned it down: “After a very cold two months, the centre says temperatures for the coming season (July, August, and September combined) are likely to be about average.”

Meanwhile, the ski fields here have the best snow in twenty five years.
Tony Andrew
Auckland, New Zealand
       (NIWA climate scientist Georgina Griffiths now admits that May
       was the coldest on record in many parts of New Zealand - see below)

Coldest May on record in many parts of New Zealand - 2 Jul 09 - May was the coldest on record in many parts of New Zealand and June was not far behind, said National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) climate scientist Georgina Griffiths.

Ms Griffiths said June was cold, frosty and sunny for most of the country with average daily high temperatures for the month between 1.5C and 2.5C below normal.

The average maximum daily temperature in Auckland for June was the second lowest in 50 years - 13.6C.

Several places recorded their lowest June average minimum daily temperatures: Warkworth, Whangaparaoa, Port Taharoa (coastal Waikato), Turangi, Paraparaumu, Wellington, Wanganui and Banks Peninsula.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10582225
Thanks to Bill Franklin for this link

Heat in England will drop soon –
expect dangerous thunderstorms, deluges, hail, and floods 2-4 July
30 Jun 09 - "The current hot spell in England will end sooner than standard forecasts have been saying and consequently many parts will not reach the top temperatures which have been claimed" said Piers Corbyn of WeatherAction long range forecasters today.

"Our long range forecast spelt out some time ago that the present hotspell will dramatically terminate in massive dangerous thunderstorms, hail and flash floods with a high risk of damaging whirlwinds in period 2-4 July. These events will be more severe than standard meteorology currently expects.

"Ireland, Wales, most of England, and much of west France and the Low Countries will be severely hit and around a month's worth of rain will fall in a matter of hours in some places.  
See entire article:
http://www.weatheraction.com/displayarticle.asp?a=57&c=1
Thanks to Piers Corbyn for this link

British meteorologist Piers Corbyn successfully forecast the recent tornadoes, hail and rain in the USA - 30 Jun 09 - "These events ... will be statistically more significant for England than the recent pack of tornadoes, hail & rain deluges which we successfully predicted for the USA for 'around 22-24 June' and was reported on ABC TV in the USA and for which we have been warmly congratulated by people affected in the USA. (see VIDEO link for ABC 15 minute coverage of WeatherAction & Piers Corbyn
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=7906041&page=1 

 

Worst flooding in Vienna in 50 years - 24 Jun 09 –Vienna – “The heaviest downpours here in 50 years have flooded streets and are forcing Vienna's Albertina Museum, home to landmark Impressionist works by Monet and Renoir, to move 950,000 artworks from its leaking underground depot. 13,000 firemen and police have been deployed across Austria.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31525535/ns/weather/
Thanks to Bob Mann for this link

10 die in central Europe floods- 25 Jun 09 - Czech Republic reports 10 deaths; Austria and Poland also swamped. A number of roads and railway lines, including a major track that connects the capital Prague with the eastern Czech Republic and Poland, have been closed as rivers flood their banks.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31541372/ns/weather/
Thanks to Bob Mann for this link

Like November in Sweden - 10 Jun 09 – Email from a reader in Stockholm
Dear Robert,
Hello from a very damp, grey and cold Stockholm.  It is like November outside. If this lasts much longer the trees will give up for the year and start dropping their leaves and going back to sleep. Never did believe in Global Warming! Total fraud! It went down to 2.9C overnight during last weekend which is way, way down on normal this time of year when it barely gets dark for a couple of hours at night.

I noticed the following link on the BBC web page. It is interesting to see how they cannot explore the science but are instead trying to tilt the blame for whatever may happening to man-made CO2 emissions.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A207415

Scroll down to the heading “The Return of the Ice Age”

Also take a look at the section “Magnetic Pole Reversal”

My bet is that, having got caught out, they will start slowly changing tack so that they can still sting us with their carbon taxes.

Keep up the great work!
Robin

Canadian frosts most widespread in recent memory - 9 Jun 09 – The frosts that blanketed Western Canada last week are the most widespread in Manitoba are the worst in memory for their frequency and area covered, said Derwyn Hammond, the province's senior agronomy specialist for the Canola Council.

In Saskatchewan, the frosts were the worst in five years. Some farmers have already reseeded their canola, a Canadian variant of rapeseed.

In Alberta, the canola crop is two to three weeks behind schedule, while Western Canada wheat and barley crops are an estimated 10 days behind.
See: http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.2512765.0.From_hotspot_to_winter_wonderla nd_in_a_week.php
Thanks to Craig Adkins for this link

Alberta, Saskatchewan get snow in June - 6 Jun 09 - "In Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, which straddles the border between Alberta and Saskatchewan, forecasters reported a heavy snowfall.

“We had a report from the park there was 15 centimetres on the ground and still snowing heavily,” said Dan Fulton with Environment Canada.

“We will be expecting total snow there of about 20 or maybe even 25 centimetres (Saturday) in the park.”
http://www.theprovince.com/Technology/Alberta+Saskatchewan+snow+June/1670900/story.html
Thanks to Norm Smith in Chilliwack, BC for this link

"Freakish snow flurries" in the UK – enough to build SNOWMEN - in the middle of summer - 5 Jun 09 - "Parts of Britain resembled Siberia today as freakish snow flurries fell in the middle of the summer" ... "a phenomenon considered to be 'remarkable' so late in the season."

"Snow descended on peaks above 2,300ft, falling on the Pennines, where temperatures were as low as 3C (37.4F)."

Though snow is rare in June, there have been a few occurrences - on June 12 1791, on June 2 1975, and on June 7 1985.
See entire article and photos:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1191089/Was-summer-Just-days-heatwave-Britons-building-SNOWMEN.html
Thanks to Emma Corry for this link

Big snow in Antarctica - 23 May 09 - One of the Observatory staff who works in the valley office sent along some info last week about a series of severe storms that battered the research station at McMurdo in Antarctica. Fellow AccuWeather.com blogger Jesse Ferrel also briefly mentions it on his blog page in his Tumblr feed. In a nutshell, three different storms dropped over 6 feet of snow at the station and shattered all sorts of snowfall records and also brought some very windy conditions. Very impressive, especially for a place that normally doesn't see a lot of snowfall.
http://www.accuweather.com/mt-news-blogs.asp?partner=netweather&traveler=0&blog=Cl arkb&pgurl=/mtweb/content/Clarkb/archives/2009/05/big_snow_in_antartica_and_a_challeng e_to_the_big_wind.asp
Thanks to Tom Meyer for this link

Record low May temperatures in New Zealand - 2 Jun 09 - Lowest May temperatures ever recorded in many locations and double normal rainfall for most of South Island

Extremely low temperatures (between 2.0 and 2.5 °C lower than normal) over most of the South Island, lower parts of the North Island, King Country, Waikato, Auckland and parts of Northland. Most other locations experienced well below average temperatures (between 1.2 and 2.0 °C lower than normal). The national average temperature of 9.0°C was 1.6°C below the long-term average for May.

Double the normal rainfall for May (about 200 percent of normal) in the Wairarapa, Canterbury and Otago. Much of Northland, Auckland, Wellington and Southland received at least 150 percent of normal May rainfall.

Many locations received record low maximum and minimum temperatures, particularly between the 9th and the 11th and on the 21st and 22nd of May.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0906/S00003.htm

Freeze warnings for Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick and Quebec
2 Jun 09 – Email from a reader in Alberta, Canada
Hi, Lance here and check your site daily and appreciate all the great work you do. Keep up the fight! I operate a ‘climate station’ here in southern Alberta, and noticed on Environment Canada’s web page some record lows: They are calling for frost again tonight!!

Lance Appleby
http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/warnings/warnings_e.html

Snowfall warning for Schefferville, Quebec - 2 Jun 09
A low pressure system over Labrador will move northward this evening.
It will dump five more centimetres of snow in the Schefferville area.
On Wednesday, snow will still be falling throughout the day but with
less intensity.
http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/warnings/warnings_e.html
Thanks to Lance Appleby for this link

 

Coldest May day ever recorded in Alice Springs, Australia 
31 May 09 - The mercury at the Central Australian town didn't get above 9.6C on Saturday, well below the previous record low of 10.5, set on May 21, 1980.
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2009/06/01/55181_ntnews.html
Thanks to Ray Baney, Alice Springs Northern Territory, Australia for this link

Coldest May morning on record in Australia - 22 May 09 - Two far north Queensland towns have experienced their coldest May morning on record.

Cooktown, north of Cairns, dropped to 10 degrees Celsius - two degrees below its previous record low, while Coen on Cape York Peninsula recorded just 10.4 degrees.

At Ravenshoe, temperatures as low as 3C were reported, while at Mareeba, the temperature dropped to 9.4C.
http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2009/05/22/43515_local-news.html
http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/far-nth-qld-wakes-to-coldest-may-morning/11932
 

New Zealand misses autumn - goes straight to winter - 21 May 09 - NZ Herald - Rotorua awoke to the rare sight of snow this morning with the eastern suburbs and hills behind the airport coated.

Weather analyst Philip Duncan says winter has "well and truly arrived early". "It's like we haven't had an autumn. We had a warm April but there's been no in between," he said yesterday. "We are two months away from the coldest part of the year, so to see temperatures this low is certainly eyebrow-raising."
Thanks to Tony Andrew for this info

Dawning of a new ice age in New Zealand? - 20 May 09 - You mention a freak hail storm in Mt Maunganui (a glorious Kiwi surfers paradise, where frost is rare).  I live there, blogged about it. The dawning of a new ice age seems evident.
http://mickysmuses.blogspot.com/2009/05/global-warming-hits-my-home-town.html
Thanks to Mike Houlding for this link

 

Snow is Saudi Arabia - 19 May 09 - In one of the rare occasions, Saudis enjoy the snowfall in Al-Baha city south-west of Riyadh, Tuesday. Torrential rains pouring down on Al-Baha accompanied by gusty winds were accompanied by snow capping the mountains and covering the valley areas and the forests of Al-Zaraeb and Khayrah.
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentID=2009051337818
Thanks to Becky Khan for this link

Snow in Alberta for the May long weekend - 19 May 09 - Flowers and shrubs wilted under wet snow Tuesday in Alberta as the temperature at one point hovered around freezing - just one degree warmer than the Arctic community of Iqaluit. This after most of the Prairies shivered through a miserable long weekend.

Environment Canada issued heavy snow warnings for as much as 20cm in parts of central Alberta. Advisories were also out for northern Alberta and northern Saskatchewan, while Manitoba experienced below-seasonal temperatures.
http://beta.mytelus.com/telusen/portal/NewsChannel.aspx?ArticleID=news/capfeed/national/n0 519102A.xml&CatID=National
Thanks to Cam McNaughton for this link

Heavy Snow Buries Ontario - 17 May 09 - Heavy snow buried portions of the Canadian Prairies Friday evening through Saturday, while high winds created dangerous white-out conditions. A foot of snow fell across portions of the region, most notably Pickle Lake, Ontario.
http://www.accuweather.com/news-story.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=0&article=8
Thanks to Kenneth Lund and Thomas L. for this link

New Zealand ski fields open much earlier than normal - 14 May 09
Hi Robert - The Ski field on Mount Taranaki (formally Mount Egmont) North Island of New Zealand has already opened and many South Island Ski fields are looking at opening much earlier then normal after early heavy snow in Southern Alps in South Island and North Island of New Zealand.

Attributed to recent "rogue storm" however identical massive area of disturbed air now approaching from south west for repeat. Was in Dunedin last weekend, snow on top flagstaff hill from about five hundred metres. Massive hailstorm at Mount Manganui North Island with hail up to sills of cars couple of days ago.

Godwits, which migrate from Alaska to New Zealand, arrived several weeks early at Christchurch where they ring the bells on their arrival.
                                                  - Anthony Andrew Auckland New Zealand

econd Coolest April this Century - 7 May 09 – According to accuweather.com, the
month of April globally was the second coolest April so far this century.
http://global-warming.accuweather.com/2009/05/second_coolest_april_this_cent_1.html#comments
Thanks to Tom Meyer for this link

It’s snowing all over the world - 6 May 09 - Ice in the Arctic is often twice as thick as expected, report surprised scientists who returned last week from a major scientific expedition. The scientists - a 20-member contingent from Canada, the U.S., Germany, and Italy - spent one month exploring the North Pole as well as never-before measured regions of the Arctic.

Among their findings: Rather than finding newly formed ice to be two metres thick, "we measured ice thickness up to four metres," stated a spokesperson for the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research of the Helmholtz Association, Germany's largest scientific organisation.
See entire article: http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/ 
Thanks to Justin Davies for this link

Zermatt gets snow dump of the season - 30 Apr 09 - Huge late season
snowfalls hit Switzerland this week, and Zermatt received a massive 187cm
on Tuesday, probably its biggest snowfall of the season. Saas Fee and Cervinia
in Italy have also benefitted from the same storm, both receiving more than one
metre. See www.skiclub.co.uk
Thanks to Rhys Jaggar for this info

More like February than April in France - 30 Apr 09 - Some 60cm of fresh snow has fallen on the Pissaillas glacier, and down in town they received around 10cm of snow on Monday night and Tuesday. The snow is fantastic for this time
of the year and on the upper slopes the amount of fresh snow is more like it would be in February than the end of April.
See www.skiclub.co.uk
Thanks to Rhys Jaggar for this info

Australian ski resort opens earliest in its history - 1 May 09 - Mount Buller resort is opening five weeks ahead of schedule this weekend after 35cm of early snowfall blanketed the slopes this week.This is the earliest we’ve opened a lift and ski run in the history of Mount Buller resort, said Laurie Blampied,
General Manager of Buller Ski Lifts.

Snow is also falling at Perisher Blue in New South Wales, which received
25cm on Monday night. The thick layer of snow is making the resort look
more like July than early May.
See www.skiclub.co.uk
Thanks to Rhys Jaggar for this info

Lowest April temperature ever recorded in Australia
29 Apr 09 – Thermometers plummeted to minus 13 degrees at Charlotte Pass on the Snowy Mountains, the lowest temperature ever recorded anywhere in Australia for the entire month of April and 13 below average. At nearby Perisher, the mercury dipped to minus 11 and at the top of Thredbo it dipped to minus 10.

Across the border on the Victorian Alps, April records were broken on Mt Hotham at minus eight degrees and at Mt Buller and Falls Creek where dropped to minus seven.

A few other locations set April low temperature records also. In Tasmania Lake Leake reached minus six, Sheffield and Dover both reached minus one, and Flinders island dropped to zero. At 1.7 degrees Hobart had its coldest April night in 46 years, seven below average. 
http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/minus-13-degrees-the-coldest-its-been-in-april/11794

Still almost 20 feet of snow in Switzerland - 29 Apr 09 - Email from reader
Daily snowfall/snowdepth measurements for two regions of Central Switzerland show that many stations between 2000 and 2500m have four to six metres of snow still. (www.slf.ch )

This is rather a lot for the last few days in April! Many regions have just had up to 70cm of new snow down to below 2000m - not unknown, but still showing that winter has not fully gone yet.

Regards, Rhys Jaggar

Earliest snow in a decade in Australia - 26 Apr 09 - With six weeks to go before the ski season starts, as much as 20cm of snow fell at Mount Hotham
and Falls Creek. Mount Buller and Mt Baw Baw and Lake Mountain recorded
10cm, with more snow expected. 

In NSW, up to 20cm of snow fell in the Snowy Mountains, the earliest since
1996. Perisher had 5cm of fresh snow, while 20cm fell at Charlotte Pass. 
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/cold-blast-brings-snow-wind-rain-20090426-aj9z.html
Thanks to Lyn (Crazyruffdog) for this link

Early winter in Australia - 26 Apr 09 - Victorians are being urged to batten
down the hatches with wild, wintry weather sweeping across the state. The mercury plunged to below zero with temperatures of minus three and minus four at some alpine areas and ski resorts bringing the promise of early snow. Victorian weather service Skipress said up to 10mm of snow fell overnight at Falls Creek, one of the state's biggest ski resorts. 
http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/5523337/wintry-weather-buffets-victoria/
Thanks to Ozgur for this link

 

Early Snow in Australia - 26 Apr 09 – Email from reader
"The small snow season that Australia has normally runs from June through to September but today it snowed and possibly will snow again tomorrow. Usually forecasters are hoping for snow falls to open the season with in June so they don’t have to make snow." - Julie Hobson

Snow, cold in Kashmir - 8 Apr 09 - About one and half feet of fresh snowfall was recorded at world famous ski resort of Gulmarg while the entire Kashmir valley was under the grip of severe cold following fresh snowfall on upper reaches and heavy rains in plains, disrupting normal life.
http://www.newkerala.com/nkfullnews-1-18159.html
Thanks to Tom Woods for this link
 

Okanagan winter 10th coldest on record
7 Apr 09 – “Meteorologists suspect coastal B.C. is now being nipped by a trend of colder than normal winter temperatures that could last a decade. Or two. Or three.”
http://www.bclocalnews.com/okanagan_similkameen/keremeosreview/news/42638827.html 

Earthquake toll hits 260 - 8 Apr 09 - Aftershocks spark new fears in tent camps for 28,000 who lost homes
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30102590

 

Italy quake toll now 207, government says
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-04-07-italy-earthquake-tuesday_N.htm

 

6.3 magnitude quake strikes Italy - 6 Apr 09 - Rubble blocked most of the streets in the medieval town after an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale knocked down entire blocks of buildings in central Italy early this morning.

The earthquake struck near l'Aquila in the mountainous region of Abruzzo 70 miles (100 km) northeast of Rome.

Seventy deaths have been reported so far, and tens of thousands of people left homeless.

Thousands of buildings - some from the 13th century - have been damaged or completely collapsed, said an official.

The earthquake came hours after a 4.6 magnitude tremor struck in Ravenna, in the northwest, on Sunday night.

The town of Castelnuovo also appeared hard hit, and Onno almost completely leveled.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30061140?GT1=43001

 

Record snowfall in Calgary leads to dome collapse
23 Mar 09 - A spring storm that swept through Calgary dumped up to
25 cm of snow on some neighborhoods and led to the collapse of a dome
over an indoor driving range.
See Record snowfall in Calgary leads to dome collapse

 

Low temperature records broken across Western Canada
12 Mar 09 – More than 40 records broken, in some cases very substantially  (shattered might be a better word). Some of the records date back to1925.
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/storm_watch_stories3&stormfile=
prairiecold_11_03_2009?ref=ccbox_weather_bottom_title
Thanks to Peter Leyser and Joe D'Aleo for this link

Drivers stranded by blizzards - thousands of commuters
delayed by frozen railways
5 Mar 09 - Motorists were stranded and commuters faced rail
disruption this morning after unexpected overnight storms dumped
several inches of snow onto parts of England.
See Drivers stranded by blizzards

 

Slap-in-the-face-winter isn’t over yet
1 Mar 09 - This winter was "almost like a slap in the face," says
Environment Canada’s senior climatologist David Phillips.
See Slap-in-the-face-winter isn’t over yet
 

'Snow bomb' dumps record snowfall across New Brunswick
24 Feb 09 -  McNamee saw more than 65 cm of snowfall during
Monday’s blizzard, while Kouchibouguac received 60 cm of snow.
See 'Snow bomb' dumps record snowfall across New Brunswick

10,000 people cut off from outside world
19 Feb 09 - In Serbia, more than 30 villages are blocked. In Albania, where
three meters (10 feet) of snow fell in one night, at least five municipalities and
some 10,000 people are blocked.
See 10,000 people cut off from outside world
.
.
Colombia volcano erupts twice in less than a week
23 Feb 09 - A volcano in southwest Colombia, near Equador’s border,
erupted again Friday morning, raining ash on nearby residents and fields.
It has erupted several times since it became active again in 1989.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/02/20/colombia.volcano/index.html
Thanks to Gordon Pratt for this link

Heavy snow kills children, destroys houses in Afghanistan - 24 Feb 09 (Reported today by IRIN, but occurred a week earlier) - Four days of heavy
snow in the Herat and Ghor provinces of Afghanistan wreak havoc: A dozen
people killed, homes damaged, livestock killed, many remote areas in northern,
western and central Afghanistan, cut off by snow.
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=82935
Thanks to Becky Khan for this link

Ten feet of snow in one night! -19 Feb 09 - Large areas of the Balkans
have been hit by heavy snow and severe cold with temperatures plunging
to around minus 20C. About 10,000 people have been cut off in northern
Albania after three meters of snow fell on Wednesday night.
http://www.radionetherlands.nl/news/international/6184099/Balkans-hit-by-snow-and-cold
Thanks to Stephanie Relfe for this link

Heavy Rains Follow Record Snowfall in Britain
10 Feb 09 - Heavy rains combined with melting snow are now causing
massive flooding throughout England and Wales. Almost a month's worth
of rain fell in 24 hours in some parts of southern England, and a band of
snow hit a swath of the country from south Wales to the Midlands. More
than 100 flood warnings were issued, and many roads were shut and
trains and flights canceled.
http://www.travelagentcentral.com/united-kingdom/heavy-rains-follow-record-snowfall-britai n-12930 
Thanks to Stephanie Relfe for this link.
“This caused massive flooding,” says Stephanie. “What if it had been snow?”

Snow and frost kill off many UK early blooming flowers and plants 
15 Feb 09 - Surveys in Devon and Cornwall - traditionally the counties with
the earliest blooms - have revealed a 60 per cent decrease in flowering plants.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/4631203/Snow-and-frost-kill-off-early-blooming-flowers.html

Snow wreaks havoc on Britain's roads - 13 Feb 09 - Britain was
hit by yet more snow storms causing travel chaos. Airports and roads
were closed and hundreds of schools were forced to shut.

Blizzards paralysed parts of Scotland before sweeping down across
north-east England. By Thursday night, even London shivered as the
front worked its way south bringing sleet and snow to the capital.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/4607254/Snow-wreaks-havoc-on-Britains-roads.html
Thanks to Stephanie Relfe for this link

Britain braced for another freezing week as temperatures drop
to minus 15C - 8 Feb 09 - More snow and ice are pushing Britain's
coldest spell for two decades into a second week, after a night which
saw the lowest temperature of the winter so far.

Temperatures were well below zero across the country, as the freezing
conditions claimed three more lives yesterday.

More snow is expected to move across parts of northern England and
Scotland today and tomorrow morning as a national salt shortage continues.

Table salt will be spread on roads in Gloucestershire as the council runs
desperately low of rock salt.

Salt shipments are on the way from Spain, Germany, Italy and Tunisia.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/weather/article5687639.ece

 

Killer Snow in Morocco 5 Feb 09 - Fourteen people killed when their houses collapsed following heavy snowfalls in Morocco. See Killer Snow in Morocco .

Birds dying as snow covers food supply - 04 Feb 09 - Wild birds are
in danger of freezing or starving to death in London because of this week’s
snow, the RSPB warned today.

The society’s London Team has started a ‘cold weather’ appeal urging house-
holders to put out fatty scraps and water to help birds survive the bitter winter.

The heavy snowfall has covered food sources like seeds, berries and grubs,
leaving birds struggling to feed themselves and keep warm, it warns.
http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/content/towerhamlets/advertiser/news/
story.aspx?brand=ELAOnline&category=news&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=
newsela&itemid=WeED04%20Feb%202009%2013%3A04%3A57%3A730
Thanks to Stephanie Relfe for this link

Council resorts to table salt for roads - 6 Feb 09 - Gloucestershire
County Council has been running low on rock salt to grit the county's roads
but has now found 500 tonnes of white table salt.

The council had called salt suppliers and other local authorities nationally
and internationally as its own supplies ran out and finally negotiated a
delivery, which will start arriving in the county on Sunday.

White salt, or normal table salt, is not usually used to grit roads, but the
council said they had to resort to any means necessary in the extreme
weather conditions.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090206/tuk-council-resorts-to-table-salt-for-ro-dba1618.html

Britain faces winter weekend from hell
as fresh snowfall causes travel chaos - 6 Feb 09

• Severn bridges close due to falling ice
• Roads treacherous as grit stocks run low
• Airports closed, trains and buses cancelled
• Couple saved from ditch in Cornwall after 7 hours
• 21,000 homes without power in West Country

Falling ice shuts major bridges 
Fifth day of weather chaos blights Britain - 6 Feb 09 - As heavy
snow brings parts of the UK to a standstill, two main roads have been
 shut because ice has been falling from overhead sign gantries and
smashing car windscreens.

"We have had reports of sheets of ice up to one metre square,” said
Jim Clune, general manager of Severn River Crossing Plc. “Five
vehicles have reported windscreens smashed from falling sheets of ice."

Meanwhile, around 200 people were rescued from their cars overnight
in an emergency operation involving police, Army and civilian teams
after becoming stranded in blizzard conditions south of Exeter in Devon.

Motorist Lucy Johnson: "It was horrific. I've never driven in anything
like it before in my life and hope to never drive in anything like it again.
Cars were skidding off the road. It was coming down so heavily you
could barely see."
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090206/tuk-falling-ice-shuts-major-bridges-dba1618.html
Thanks to Andrew Servo in Scotland for this link
          “I suppose global warming must be melting the ice!"
            says Andrew. “We’re also running out of grit salt
            here in the UK.”

More Snow Hits United Kingdom 
Commuters rescued from their cars due to intense snow
6 Feb 09 - More snow hit Great Britain Friday, causing school and
airport closures. Some commuters had to be rescued from their cars
due to the intense snow. In the Devon area, 150 people were taken
to shelters after being stranded in theirs cars for several hours.
http://www.accuweather.com/news-top-headline.asp#International
Thanks to Kenneth Lund for this link

No snowploughs in London?- 3 Feb 09 – Email from a reader in Scotland: "Honestly, the guy (London's Mayor) is as much use as an ashtray on a
motorbike." See No snowploughs in London?
.
 

Europe blanketed in heavy snowfalls - Snow reaches northern Morocco
3 Feb 09 - A blanket of snow covered large parts of western Europe
on Monday after some of the heaviest falls in two decades.
See Europe blanketed in heavy snowfalls .

It's going to last all week! ... and more is on the way
3 Feb 09 - Snowfall halts London's buses for the first time in living
memory - they even continued to run during the Blitz - and the rail
network ground to a halt.
See It's going to last all week!
 

Heavy Snow Hits Much of Britain  - Worst in over two decades
2 Feb 09 - Some parts of London could see a foot (30cm) of snow, while
northern England and the Pennines could see as much as 20 inches (50cm).
See Heavy Snow Hits Much of Britain  - Worst in over two decades
.
.

UK Braces for Another Cold Snap – Coldest winter since 1995/96
29 Jan 09 - "So far, the winter of 2008/2009 has seen temperatures
between 1C and 1.5C below average and with a freezing start to
February this winter looks set to be the coldest since the winter of
1995/1996. On December 30th 1995 the lowest ever UK temperature
of -27.2C (-17F) was equalled - recorded in Altnaharra, Scotland."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/29012009news.shtml
Thanks to Rhys Jaggar and John Brown in the UK for this link

Cold breaks 125-year-old record in Fredericton  
16 Jan 09 - The province of New Brunswicks experienced record-
low temperatures Friday morning.

Cote, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said communities
across the province broke some long-standing weather records. The
mercury dropped to 34.3 C in Fredericton Friday morning, breaking
a record set in 1884.
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/cbc/090116/canada/canada_
newbrunswick_nb_frigid_temperatures
Thanks to Marc Morano for this link

Vancouver 1 cm short of all-time December snow record
18 Jan 09 – Email from reader in Vancouver, B.C.
See Vancouver 1 cm short of all-time December snow record
 

USA freeze set to continue into next week - 17 Jan 09 - Bitterly
cold arctic air pushed down from Canada early this week behind a
succession of winter storms that dumped heavy snow across the
Midwest and northeast. The cold has now stretched as far south
as Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina giving southerners
unaccustomed to the cold, a big shock.

Schools were closed in dozens of states and homeless shelters were
quickly overcrowded. The cold has frozen over lakes and ponds and
threatened to kill large numbers of native flora and fauna.

Meanwhile, continuous snow in the eastern Lake Ontario region and
Cayuga County could lead to accumulations of 46cm (18 inches). http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/news/17012009news.shtml
Thanks to John Brown in Ardrossan, Scotland, for this link

Record cold in Britain triggers government payouts for heating
subsidies
6 Jan 09 - Forecasters warned that tonight will be even colder.
The icy conditions also stranded thousands of motorists.
See Record cold in Britain triggers government payouts for heating subsidies

 

Slovenia registers lowest temperatures ever -
No earrings at -49 below!
10 Jan 09 - At the Bohin resort, a half frozen weatherman standing
outside reported minus 49°C.

Slovenian Media have reported recommendations of the meteorological
institute of Germany, which alarms over the risks of having piercings –
the metal earrings on people’s body could cause dangerous freezing.

No metal objects attached to the body should be worn, warns the
media, for people who must venture outside. For everyone else,
Slovenian media urges its citizens to stay in their homes. http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/5026/2/
Thanks to Steven Woodcock, Dan Clemmts and Jeff Reed for this link

Snow continues to trap thousands at Madrid airport
10 Jan 09 - More snow fell on the capital overnight allowing no respite
for passengers. Spain, like many other parts of Europe, has had an
unusually cold winter so far.
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSLA46960720090110
Thanks to Steven Woodcock for this link

Brazil summer temps coldest in 99 years
9 Jan 09 – "Its really strange; when it should be cold, its hot enough
to fry an egg. And vice versa. Theres no explaining it."
See Brazil summer temps coldest in 99 years
.
.

Madrid airport closed as Europe freezes - 9 Jan 09
         Check out the spin at the end of the article.
- Nearly 400 km (250 miles) of traffic jams in and around Spanish capital
- Several rivers in Germany frozen
- Much of Europe enduring Siberian conditions
- Days of heavy snow in France's southern Marseille region
- Germany experiencing one of its coldest winters in 100 years
- Several German rivers frozen over, blocking ship traffic
- Drift ice covers 80 to 90 percent of the surface of the river Elbe
   from Doemnitz to Germany's main port of Hamburg.
See Madrid airport closed as Europe freezes

 

Madrid travel snarled by deepest snow in decades
9 Jan 09 - One of the heaviest snowfalls in decades closed Madrid
airport and brought traffic in the Spanish capital to a standstill on Friday.

With snow falling throughout the day, Madrid's regional government
convened a meeting of its crisis committee and raised its warning level
to orange -- the second highest.

The National Meteorology Institute said 10 cm (4 inches) of snow
was expected in Madrid on Friday. More snow is expected over
much of the country during the weekend.

Snow is a rarity in Madrid.
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSL929553320090109
Thanks to Steven Woodcock for this link

Germany - One of coldest winters in 100 years
9 Jan 09 – “According to the German Weather Service (DWD), this
is one of the coldest winters of the past 100 years. It is quite rare that
such low temperatures as in the past days were measured, said DWD
meteorologist Thomas Schmidt yesterday. The weather service
Meteomedia Funtensee identified yesterday in the Bavarian Alps
minus 34.6 degrees.

“For the first time in years is the Müritz (the second largest lake in
Germany) … completely covered with ice. In northern Germany
increasingly hampered ice inland: The Elbe is from Friday morning
above Hamburg because of a thick blanket of ice for shipping. The
iciness also makes the barge in North Rhine-Westphalia and
Bavaria to create.”
http://translate.google.com.au/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sz-online.de%2Fnachrichten%2Fartikel.asp%3Fid%3D2042096&sl=de&tl=en&hl=en&ie=UTF-8 

Germany Sinks into Spectacular Deep Freeze
6 Jan 09 - Temperatures in Germany fell as low as minus 24.8 degrees
Celsius (minus 12.6F) on Monday night, with the country covered in a
spectacular sheet of snow and ice.

There were some delays to flights and railway delays but there was no
repeat of the transport chaos that hit parts of Germany after heavy snowfall
led to a 35-km jam on the northern A2 motorway on Sunday night.

Temperatures are expected to remain Arctic for several days, heightening
concern about the current disruptions to the supply of Russian gas to
Europe as a result of a dispute between Russian gas company Gazprom
and Ukraine.

The cold snap has hit much of Europe and led to record electricity
consumption in France on Monday.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,599784,00.html
Thanks to Tom Weatherby for this link
 

Plunging temperatures across Europe
7 Jan 09 - Plunging temperatures have sent shivers across Europe,
leading to the deaths of several people and a record number of calls
to power companies in Britain because of heating problems.
See Plunging temperatures across Europe
.
.

Ice troubling ships in Rotterdam Harbour for first time since 1997
6 Jan 09 - E-mail from a reader in the Netherlands
See Ice troubling ships in Rotterdam Harbour for first time since 1997

 

Saskatoon cold streak sets new record - 24 consecutive days
of -25 C or lower
6 Jan 09 - Saskatoon's deep freeze is likely the longest streak of low
temperatures below -25 C that has numbed this city since record-keeping
began in 1892.

The 24-day streak started cruelly Dec. 13 after relatively mild temperatures
and continued at least through Monday, said David Phillips, Environment
Canada's senior climatologist.

"It's really a shocker, the duration of the cold," said Phillips.

Phillips said he couldn't find a longer cold snap in Saskatoon's recorded
weather history. Monday. Even during the infamous January of 1950, when
temperatures hit -46 and -45 (not counting any wind chill), the cold streak
of -25 or lower lasted "only" 21 days.

The normal average temperature for Saskatoon in December is -14.3.

January is expected to be colder than its normal mean temperature of
-17, said Environment Canada meteorologist Bob Cormier. The three-
month period of January through March is also expected to be colder
than normal, he said.
http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/story.html?id=e25537cf-e677-4c20-a61c-8584a4066 04d

Heavy snow in Spain - 5 Jan 09 - Four people have died as a result
of severe weather conditions, which battered the north and east of the
country.

Meanwhile, strong winds and heavy snow fall also caused chaos on
Spain's roads. Some 54 cars were involved in a multiple pile-up on
the A8 in Muskiz in Vizcaya, when a freak hail storm impaired visibility.
27 people were injured during the collision and the road had to be closed
for several hours.

Fallen rocks close to the Montserrat monastery in Barcelona blocked
the access road and resulted in 1 500 having to be evacuated by cable
car, whilst seven further mountain passes were forced to remain closed
to traffic because of the snow in Asturias and Burgos, and four in
Cantabria. Roads were also affected by snowfall in Ávila and Girona.  
http://www.roundtownnews.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17630&Itemid=31
Thanks to Stephanie Relfe for this link

Arctic conditions in southern Britain -
but “it makes little difference to the overall trend”
5 Jan 09 - The big freeze will envelop the South tonight as Arctic weather
conditions send temperatures plunging as low as minus 10C (14F).
See Arctic conditions in southern Britain
.
.

Saskatchewan digging out - 4 Jan 09 - Snow drifts and wind chills as
cool as -45 C gripped the Prairie provinces Saturday as plows began to
clear up to 25 cm of new snow in southern Saskatchewan. The overnight
low in many areas of southern Saskatchewan was -35 C without the wind.

The storm moved into western Manitoba late Friday, dumping up to
10 cm of snow and causing a highway alert to be issued for the Trans-
Canada Highway west of Brandon because of snow-packed and
slippery roads with reduced visibility.

The storm was expected to be followed by another blast of cold Arctic
air, bringing extreme wind chills of -40 C by Sunday morning over western
Manitoba and the Red River valley.

The cold weather extends into Alberta as well, with temperatures dipping
to -30 C in Edmonton at mid-morning Saturday.

In Ontario, the City of Toronto issued an extreme cold weather alert
Saturday to activate additional support services to help get homeless
people in from the cold. http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2009/01/03/7910336-cp.html
Thanks to S & B Fread for this link