Extreme weather news and discussion

weatheriscool
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White House declares 'major disaster' in California; hazardous roads plague Sierra, Bay Area
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
President Biden approved California’s request for a major disaster declaration to increase federal emergency support as storms and flooding continued to flog communities across the state over the weekend. Hazardous roadways plagued several areas Sunday, with home-bound Sierra travelers warned of near-impossible conditions on some roadways and Bay Area motorists dealing with closures forced by floods and landslides.

“California is grateful for President Biden’s swift approval of this critical support to communities reeling from these ongoing storms,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said after meeting with evacuated residents in Merced County on Saturday. The declaration will unlock more federal funding to help local and state storm response efforts and will make funding available to affected individuals in hard-hit Merced, Sacramento and Santa Cruz counties.

In the Bay Area, residents on Sunday assessed damage from the widespread flooding, wind and landslides that submerged roadways and felled trees — leaving at least one dead, a woman found beneath a tree branch in Golden Gate Park, according to officials. A National Weather Service flood advisory was in effect until 9 a.m. Monday for Bay Area shoreline and North Bay interior areas.

The storms showed signs of tapering off in the Bay Area, but not before another round of moderate rain showers was expected to blow through already waterlogged areas Monday. More than 2,000 Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers around the region were without power Sunday afternoon, according to the company. Most of the outages were in San Francisco, the Peninsula and the South Bay.
Read more: https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/art ... 719733.php
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caltrek
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Siberia Was Blasted by Temperatures Of -62°C This Weekend
by Tom Hale
January 16, 2023

Introduction:
(IFL Science) Siberia is currently going through some dangerously cold weather. On Sunday, January 15, temperatures of -62.4°C (-80.32°F) were picked up in Tongulakh, a rural part of Sakha Republic, Russia. The temperatures were reported by Ventusky, a meteorological company based in Czechia. They explain that this is a “new all-time low” for the station at Tongulakh and the coldest temperature in Siberia since 2002.

It wasn’t just Tongulakh that felt the chill this weekend (although “chill” is a massive understatement). Numerous patches of the Sakha Republic just east of this station were also clocking temperatures well below -50°C (-58°F) on Sunday.

For context, this is comparable to the temperature on Mars. Although surface temperatures on the red planet can range from up to 20 °C (68 °F) to -153 °C (−243 °F), its average annual temperature is approximately -62 °C (-80°F).

The temperatures currently battering Siberia aren’t far off all-time record-breakers. The coldest temperate ever recorded in the northern hemisphere was documented in Oymyakon of the Sakha Republic on 6 February 1933 when temperatures dropped as low as -67.7°C (-90°F).

Conclusion:
Just as climate scientists have warned, it's clear that extreme temperatures at both ends of the spectrum are becoming more common and more intense.
Read more here: https://www.iflscience.com/siberia-was ... end-67093

caltrek’s comment: So much for the idea that global warming will result in a more hospitable Siberia.
Don't mourn, organize.

-Joe Hill
weatheriscool
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Death toll in Buffalo's historic December blizzard rises to 47
Source: axios


The death toll in the Buffalo blizzard has risen to 47 after Erie County officials confirmed on Thursday that three more people had lost their lives during the destructive winter storm.

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What we're watching: The storm death toll could still rise as the medical examiner was awaiting toxicology results in order to confirm the causes of three deaths, per Poloncarz.

The big picture: Buffalo bore the brunt of what New York Gov. Kathy Hochul described as "the most devastating storm" in the city's history, as it froze several substations and created hazardous conditions during the busy holiday travel period.
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Between the lines: What made this extreme weather event so dangerous for Buffalo, a city that's used to heavy snow, were the days of extremely strong winds, frigid temperatures and heavy snow, per Axios' Andrew Freedman................................
Read more: https://www.axios.com/2023/01/20/buffal ... nse-delays
weatheriscool
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Storms to bring one-two punch of wintry weather to the Northeast

Source: United Press International
AccuWeather meteorologists say a storm at the end of the weekend will not be the last wintry hit for parts of the Northeast in the short-term as yet another storm is on tap for the middle of the week. Even with the back-to-back blows, experts say the snow drought may hold strong for at least part of the Interstate 95 corridor.

Read more: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2023/01 ... 674408279/
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Tornado causes 'catastrophic' damage near Houston
Source: United Press International
The Houston area is assessing "catastrophic damage" after severe weather and a large tornado slammed the region Tuesday, injuring one person and destroying dozens of homes and businesses. Flash flooding closed roads, as crews work to restore power to 100,000 customers in the wake of the storm.
Read more: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2023/01 ... 674615595/
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340K without power amid frigid temperatures in Texas; 2,300 flights canceled, at least 6 dead
Source: USATODAY

Texans in more than 340,000 homes and businesses braced for near-freezing temperatures without power Wednesday and more than 2,300 flights were canceled amid an unrelenting blast of treacherous, icy conditions and brutal cold that has left at least six dead.
Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/wea ... 150433002/
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Coldest wind chill ever recorded in continental US, say forecasters

5 hours ago

Forecasters say the coldest wind chill ever has been recorded in the continental US as an Arctic cold snap freezes a swathe of North America.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said the icy gusts on Mount Washington in New Hampshire on Friday produced a wind chill of -108F (-77C).

Nearly 100 million people across the north-eastern US and Canada are shivering in the frigid blast.

Authorities warned frostbite could strike in less than 10 minutes.

Residents from Manitoba to Maine are being urged to limit their time outdoors until Saturday in the "once-in-a-generation" cold snap.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64485092
weatheriscool
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'Historic Arctic outbreak' crushes records in New England
Source: Washington Post

Mount Washington in New Hampshire logged the U.S.'s coldest wind chill ever recorded: minus-109

Parts of the Northeast woke up to the coldest morning in decades on Saturday, with temperatures 30 degrees or more below average and wind chills in the extremely dangerous category. Virtually the entirety of New England was included in wind chill warnings, while Mount Washington’s minus-109 degree wind chill set a record for the entire United States.

The National Weather Service office serving the Boston region described the cold as “a historic Arctic outbreak for the modern era,” and warned that “this is about as cold as it will ever get.”

In Boston, the morning low fell to minus-10 degrees at 5:15 a.m., the coldest reading observed in the city since Jan. 15, 1957, when Boston hit minus-12. The episode resembled the brutal Arctic blast on Valentine’s Day 2016, when Logan Airport dropped to minus-9 degrees.

Coupled with winds gusting near 40 mph, Boston witnessed its lowest wind chill ever recorded at minus-39 degrees. Records date back to 1944. Wind chill is an index that attempts to quantity the combined impact of cold and wind on the human body, since strong winds blow away one’s body heat.
Read more: https://wapo.st/3l8ngiL
weatheriscool
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Downpour kills at least 36 in Brazil, cities cancel Carnival
Source: AP

By MAURICIO SAVARESE2 hours ago
SAO PAULO (AP) — Heavy rain caused flooding and landslides that have killed 36 people on the northern coast of Brazil’s Sao Paulo state, officials said Monday, while fatalities could rise.

Sao Paulo’s state government said in a statement that 35 died in the city of Sao Sebastiao and a 7-year-old girl was killed in neighboring Ubatuba. On Monday morning, more than 500 people were continuing search and rescue efforts.

Some of the hardest-hit cities that are under a state of emergency, including Sao Sebastiao, Ubatuba, Ilhabela and Bertioga, canceled their Carnival festivities as rescue teams contined a search for the injured and missing under the rubble.

“Our rescue teams are not managing to get to several locations; it is a chaotic situation,” said Felipe Augusto, the mayor of Sao Sebastiao. Later, he added there are dozens of people missing and that 50 houses collapsed in the city due to the landslides.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/sports-storm ... osition_07
weatheriscool
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Parts of northern U.S. shut down ahead of winter storm
Source: AP

By TRISHA AHMED and JIM SALTER today

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — States in the northern plains are largely shutting down ahead of a massive winter storm that could dump up to 2 feet of snow in some areas, accompanied by strong winds and dangerously cold temperatures.

Many schools throughout the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin were called off for Wednesday, ahead of the storm. Offices closed, and so did the Minnesota Legislature, which won’t reconvene until Monday. Emergency management leaders warned people to stay off the roads or face potential “whiteout” conditions due to the snow and fierce winds.

The storm will make its way toward the East Coast later in the week. Places that don’t get snow may get dangerous amounts of ice. Forecasters expect up to a half-inch of ice in some areas of southern Michigan, northern Illinois and some eastern states.

The snowfall could be historic, even in a region accustomed to heavy snow. As much as 25 inches may pile up, with the heaviest amounts falling across east-central Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin, the National Weather Service said. Wind gusts could reach 50 mph and wind chills are expected to hit minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 46 degrees Celsius) in some parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/weather-minn ... osition_04
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