'Tidal Wave of Snow' Forecast to Cripple North-eastern US

Winter storm Juno

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: 50 million told to 'go home and stay home' as planes are grounded and cars ordered off streets before giant storms sweep into New York and Boston

A crippling blizzard predicted to dump historic snowfalls swept into the American north-east as shops reported panic buying, airlines cancelled thousands of flights and governors announced states of emergency and travel bans.

Meteorologists forecast up to two feet of snow would fall in New York city in a few hours while 30 inches could carpet Boston.

But just as alarming were the heavy winds that would drive the snow as gusts were expected to reach 50mph in New York and near hurricane-strength 70mph in Cape Cod, whipping up towering drifts and exacerbating the rapid accumulations.

As the storm bore down on America’s most populated corridor, a 250-mile stretch from New Jersey to New England, political leaders had the same message for the 50 million residents in its path: go home and stay there.

“It will be like a tidal wave of snow,” predicted Henry Margusity, a meteorologist with AccuWeather forecasting company, while the National Weather Service described the storm as “life-threatening”. Some regions were expected to be battered by “thundersnow” with thunder and lightning accompanying intense downpours of snow. » | Philip Sherwell, New York | Monday, January 26, 2015

Record Snowfall Turns Italian Village White

BBC: Record snowfall in the north of Italy has left some people trapped in their homes.

Villagers in Madesimo had to dig their way out of their properties after several days of wintery weather.

Rebecca Donovan reports. (+ BBC video) » | Friday, February 07, 2014

Freezing Weather Spreads into Eastern US

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Forecasters said some 187 million people in all could feel the effects of the 'polar vortex' by the time it spread across the country


The coldest, most dangerous blast of polar air in decades gripped the US Midwest and pushed toward the East and South and eastern Canada, closing schools and day care centres, grounding flights and forcing people to pull their hoods and scarves tight to protect exposed skin from nearly instant frostbite.

Many across the nation's midsection went into virtual hibernation, while others dared to venture out in temperatures that plunged well below zero Fahrenheit (minus 18 Celsius). » | AP | Tuesday, January 07, 2014

USA: Record Snow, New Power Outages as Storm Slams Northeast

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Melting Danube Worsens Serbia's Weather Woes
Europe's worst cold spell in decades - which froze the River Danube and for weeks severly disrupted trade along its waterways - is now easing. But as the temperatures rise, the thawing of the river has caused even more havoc in Serbia. The sudden melt caused large chunks of ice to break off and flow downstream - damaging boats in the marina. Rescue services are being blamed for not doing enough to help, while Serbia's government faces a massive clean-up operation that could cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Al Jazeera's Sonia Gallego reports.

Europe’s Extreme Cold Weather Explained
BBC: The big freeze continues to overwhelm many parts of Europe as the cold snap shows no signs of stopping.

The BBC's Lucy Hockings and weather presenter Helen Willetts look at why Europe is experiencing such unusually cold weather. Watch video » | Wednesday, February 08, 2012

Deadly Freeze Continues in Europe
Extreme cold and heavy snow in Europe has killed many already and threatens to continue for a number of days. At least 400 people have died, with eastern Europe and the Balkans particularly badly affected, but officials say the death toll could rise with many remote areas still inaccessible. More power, water and food shortages are expected as demand increases, while heavy snowfalls are also spreading to northern Africa, with Libya and Algeria already affected. Al Jazeera's Emma Hayward reports.

Thirty Degrees Below – And At Least a Hundred Dead: Europe's Big Freeze

THE INDEPENDENT: With record snowfalls, icy winds, and thousands of people trapped in remote villages, much of Central and Eastern Europe is in the grip of a cold snap that has caused more than 100 deaths. Temperatures in parts of Ukraine and other Eastern European countries are hovering around -30C (-22F).

The Adriatic islands of Croatia have had a rare dusting of snow, while in Romania, parts of the Black Sea have frozen over. Several towns in Bulgaria have recorded their lowest temperatures since records began more than a century ago, [sic]

At least 11,000 people were trapped in mountain villages in Serbia yesterday as ice and snow made roads impassable. Emergency crews were working to gain access to deliver supplies as the country tackled its coldest winter for decades.

"The situation is dramatic. The snow is up to 5m high in some areas. You can only see rooftops," said Milorad Dramacanin, a member of a helicopter evacuation team. Among those airlifted to safety were mourners who had travelled to a funeral but were unable to get back. » | Shaun Walker | Friday, February 03, 2012

Related here, here, here, and here.

Austria Blizzard Causes Travel Chaos
Heavy snowfall has severely disrupted transportation across western Austria. The blizzard, named Storm Andrea by meterologists, has forced the closure of main roads and three railway lines, including a major route connecting the country to Switzerland, in the regions of Tyrol and Foralberg [sic]. The storm is also increasing the chances of avalanches in a region renowned for its ski slopes. Charlie Angela reports.

Winterwetter: Halb Österreich ist eingeschneit

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Das Schnee hat Vorarlberg, Tirol, Salzburg und Teile der Schweiz fest im Griff. Manche Dörfer sind von der Außenwelt abgeschnitten. Teilweise besteht die höchste Lawinen-Warnstufe.

Das Winterwetter hat Österreich sowie Teile der Schweiz und Bayerns im Griff. Vor allem der Westen Österreichs ist unter einer immer weiter wachsenden Schneedecke begraben. In den Bundesländern Vorarlberg, Tirol und Salzburg besteht die höchste Lawinen-Warnstufe. Mehrere Lawinenabgänge haben bereits Dörfer von der Außenwelt abgeschnitten. Der Zugverkehr über die Arlbergstrecke ist gesperrt, weil viele Bäume von den orkanartigen Stürmen umgerissen wurden und weil weiter Lawinengefahr herrscht. Zwischen dem Tiroler Ötztal und Bludenz in Vorarlberg musste ein Ersatzverkehr auf der Straße eingerichtet werden. Eine weitere Streckenunterbrechung gibt es zwischen Wörgl und Saalfelden. » | Von REINHARD OLT, WIEN | Sonntag 08. Januar 2012

NZZ ONLINE: Tausende von Skitouristen sitzen fest: Zahlreiche Wintertourismusorte wegen Lawinengefahr von Aussenwelt abgeschnitten » | Sonntag 08. Januar 2012

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Spring arrives early in Britain following mild winter weather: The first signs of spring are emerging weeks early in the countryside and in gardens as a result of the mild winter, experts said today. » | Sunday, January 08, 2012

Wintry Blast Paralyzes Midwest
Biggest storm in 50 years spreads across U.S., causing major problems

'Thundersnow' Storm Causes Havoc in [sic] US East Coast
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: America's east coast has been battered by blizzards which have dumped 19 inches of snow, adding to the heaviest January many parts of the region have seen in decades.

Four hundred thousand Washington residents were left without power after a blizzard that began on Wednesday intensified overnight, bringing so-called "Thundersnow" to the capital.

The blizzard forced the closure of New York's JFK and Newark airports, leading to the cancellation of thousands of flights. The Long Island Rail Road, a major commuter line, also suspended services. Schools were closed and governments [sic] workers across the region were sent home early on Wednesday, with little prospect of returning on Thursday. The Statue of Liberty was closed for snow removal.

Even the most high profile commuter in the US was delayed. Barack Obama was forced to make his way to the White House from Andrews air force base by car rather than helicopter, after a trip to Wisconsin.

Residents of Washington experienced Thundersnow – a combination of snowfall, thunder and lightning that has become the new talking point on TV news – as New Yorkers had done the previous night. >>> Jon Swaine, New York | Thursday, January 27, 2011

Winter Storm Slams Northeast
Thousands of travelers left stranded, schools closed

Dangerously Cold Temperatures Hit New York

Mother Nature in Full Rage: Heavy Snow in Much of US; Blizzards in New England

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MAIL ONLINE: Snow on the ground on 49 of the 50 states as New York shivers through its THIRD storm of the winter >>> Daily Mail Reporter | Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Britain's Glistening Winter Landscape
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: It may have caused travel chaos but the wintry weather has also provided some beautiful scenery around the country, see some of the best images of natural beauty from around northern England and Scotland.

Watch Telegraph video here

Le froid sème la pagaille en Grande-Bretagne
LE TEMPS: Avions cloués au sol, passagers qui dorment dans les aérogares, routes et voies ferrées gelées: le chaos dans les transports se poursuivait ce lundi en Grande-Bretagne, où les températures restaient exceptionnellement basses

Bien qu’ouvert, l’aéroport de Heathrow près de Londres, un des premiers du monde pour le trafic voyageurs, opérait «un nombre limité de vols», selon son site internet. British Airways a annoncé qu’une soixantaine de vols seraient maintenus lundi matin à partir de Heathrow, soit environ la moitié. Des dizaines d’autres vols ont donc été annulés, et les perturbations devraient se prolonger au-delà de Noël du fait des reports et annulations. >>> AFP | Lundi 20 Décembre 2010

LE TEMPS: L’Europe est paralysée par les intempéries: Des milliers de passagers, en Belgique et en Angleterre, ont été bloqués dans les aéroports >>> AFP/LT | Lundi 20 Décembre 2010

Snow Chaos: Heathrow Airport To Stay Shut
SKY NEWS: Heathrow will remain closed and will not reopen until checks this morning confirm it is safe, as heavy snow continues to cause chaos across Britain's transport networks.


DAILY TELEGRAPH PICTURE GALLERY: Britain's coldest winters on record >>>

UK to Enjoy Brief Thaw Before Freeze Returns
THE GUARDIAN: Forecasters say weekend will warm up before temperatures plummet again at start of next week

Britain will enjoy a brief respite from the worst December weather in almost 30 years, forecasters said today – but temperatures will fall again from the start of next week and stay low for the rest of the year.

The news came as the army was called in to help clear up in Edinburgh city centre after major snowfalls.

Soldiers from First Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland were on the streets of the Scottish capital after being given formal clearance by the Ministry of Defence following a request from the local authority.

The soldiers have been joined by personnel from the Royal Navy and the RAF.

After more than a week of snow, ice and transport chaos, forecasters said the UK would start to thaw, with the mercury almost reaching double figures in some areas.

But bitterly cold winds are expected to return by the start of next week, and bookmakers have slashed the odds on a white Christmas. >>> Helen Carter | Thursday, December 09, 2010

Britain's Deep Freeze Continues
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: The United Kingdom was brought to its knees as heavy snow continued to fall across the nation. Train services, airports and rail links were disrupted, with no end in sight for frustrated commuters. Video courtesy of Sky News.

Washington DC: Hundreds Gather for Snowball Fight

Snow in Britain through the Years
Video: BBC archive film shots >>> | Wednesday, January 06, 2010