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Romania digs out from 15 feet of snow The Associated Press reports: Snow as deep as 15 feet (4.5 meters) isolated areas in Romania, Moldova and Albania on Tuesday and turned a power plant in Kosovo into a park of dazzling ice sculptures. In a winter harsher than many can remember, energy workers struggled mightily Tuesday to break the ice that has encapsulated Kosovo's main power station in Obilic. Steam from the plant's vents coated its pipes and buildings with ice and snow, turning them into unworldly, unrecognizable objects of art.

Federal employees can take unscheduled leave or telework from home on Wednesday in anticipation of what many forecasts believe could be a non-event. The Office of Personnel Management made the announcement by email just after 10 a.m. Wednesday, at the same time as the National Weather Service's winter weather advisory began to take affect for many area counties. Flakes have fallen and waned in the Gaithersburg and Frederick areas, and it's snowing everywhere to the west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, reports ABC7 Meteorologist Alex Liggitt. But warmer conditions around D.C. have limited snowfall there. "We're really looking at a...

BELGRADE, Serbia — At least 11,000 villagers have been trapped by heavy snow and blizzards in Serbia’s mountains, authorities said Thursday, as the death toll from Eastern Europe’s weeklong deep freeze rose to 123, many of them homeless people. The harshest winter in decades has seen temperatures in some regions dropping to minus 30 C (minus 22 F) and below, and has caused power outages, traffic chaos and the widespread closure of schools, nurseries and airports. The stranded in Serbia are stuck in some 6,500 homes in remote areas that cannot be reached due to icy, snow-clogged roads with banks...

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/bou/?n=bou_winter_briefing Major winter storm coming up thru CO from the Four Corners area. Local depths by Saturday AM could be 2+ feet, with blizzard winds and flying stuff. Check yer batteries, flashlights, beebers. Set aside some fluids and don't BBQ in the house please.

Mammoth Mountain couldn’t have asked for better weather for next week’s Operation Mountain Freedom, in which injured active duty servicemen and women and veterans learn how to ski or snowboard with the help of adaptive equipment. Since 2007, the resort, along with Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra, has hosted the military and their families for a week of lessons, motivational speakers and community-building events. “It’s a gateway to learning what is possible,” says Cara Leonard, associate director of the nonprofit. “So many people that come through this program are able to look at what they accomplished, whether it’s skiing or snowboarding,...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A Louisville man was arrested Thursday night accused of doing doughnuts in his car at a park. Louisville Metro Police said 22-year-old Tony Fey was at Riverview Park off of Greenwood Road doing doughnuts in the snow. Police said the park has three signs reading "No Trespassing After Dark." Fey was charged with criminal trespassing and reckless driving.

An Alaska community blitzed by nearly 15 feet of snow was hit by another storm Tuesday and a new problem -- a shortage of shovels. A spokesman for the city of Cordova said officials had tried Anchorage, Fairbanks and other cities and finally turned to a manufacturer for a special order. "It's ironic, isn't it? The state of Alaska -- you'd think they'd be ahead of the game. It's those logistical things you just don't plan on, or you don't think is going to be an issue," said Allen Marquette by phone from the city on the east side of...

What happens when Hollywood director David Zucker unleashes his wacky humor on the historic Riverside Theater and the renowned Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra? You get a little something we're quite familiar with in Wisconsin: fun. You might remember David Zucker as the director of classics like Airplane! and The Naked Gun. But you might not know that David was born and raised right in Shorewood, Wisconsin! This is David's first Wisconsin project in over 40 years, but he sure hasn't forgotten one thing: Wisconsin is fun in every season. See for yourself! Start planning your Wisconsin vacation with accommodations, attractions, and...

Heavier than usual snowfall and high winds have caused chaos on roads and railways in many areas of Austria. Part of a major railway route has been shut down in the west of the county, and some villages and tourist resorts have been cut off. Up to 1.2 metres (4ft) of fresh snow has been recorded in some areas since Thursday. The authorities say the probability of avalanches is extremely high and widespread. The railway line that connects Oetzal, close to Innsbruck in Tyrol, and Bludenz in the far west of the country has been shut and is expected to...

At Acoma pueblo thousands of cattle and even a few residents are still stranded by deep snow. The pueblo continues to dig out from last week's blizzards. Most of the 3,000 cattle on the Acoma pueblo have been isolated since the storms last week with no extra feed or access to unfrozen water. Ranch hands have not been able to get out there as the extreme cold of the high country keeps the deep snow from melting. Tractor crews are attacking it, but there are miles to go. Not only is access important for care of the livestock, but many...

Type in the words Let it snow in Google search... Your screen frosts over. Cursor can wipe it away. Aah, technology...

Winter Storm Alfred delivered an early blast of heavy, wet snow on Saturday that knocked out power to more than a half million homes. Gov. Dannel Malloy declared a state of emergency and said power could take days to be restored in some parts of the state. He also said that one person was killed in a storm-related crash in Colchester and a Connecticut State Police Trooper was injured in a different crash. "We would like people to stay off the roads as much as possible," said Malloy. Connecticut State Police said motorists traveling on Connecticut's roads need to be...

Storm-weary residents were hoping for a treat this Halloween, but the weather gods decided to give us a trick instead. Saturday's projected snowfall may force kids dressed as Captain America, Harry Potter, and the Angry Birds to trudge through snow Monday to ring doorbells. Ulster, Sullivan and northern Orange counties are forecast to receive 6-12 inches of snow Saturday, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Kerry Schwindenhammer. Southern Orange County is expected to get 3-6 inches of snow over the same period. A low-pressure system moving northeast from the North Carolina coast is expected to intensify as it encounters unseasonably cold air...

Power outages associated with Winter Storm Alfred are skyrocketing. Connecticut Light & Power reported more than 288,000 customers without power at 5:30 p.m., with those in the central and southwestern part of the state being hit the hardest. ... Officials at United illuminating said more than 9,000 customers were in the dark in its service area, which covers the area surrounding Bridgeport The state Department of Transportation said that power outages along the New Haven line of Metro North is affecting service. Trains are now running hourly.

I know it's fun to laugh at the fools in the OWS crowd as they must also cope with the weather. But none of the local governments (county and towns) have done any work on the roads around where I live. I went out this morning and had about a four mile drive to come home. Returning around 2 PM, it took me a harrowing three quarters of an hour. On my way home every uphill grade was a challenge. I had to dodge downed powerlines and trees which turned much of my route into a single lane road. Power...

GRAND JUNCTION, CO--- Up to a foot of snow in the mountains, and lots of rain for the Valley with much cooler temperatures. Anyone traveling to the high country will want to be prepared for winter driving conditions as we could see a foot of snow in about all of our mountain areas. Winter Storm Warnings and Watches are in effect. Hunters and hikers should be prepared for strong winds as well as snowfall and temperatures in the daytime in the 30's and in the teens at night. A cold front passes Thursday afternoon that will lower snow levels to...

A cold weather front took aim at Northern California Tuesday, packing a potent punch with as much as 10 inches of snow for the Sierra peaks, the earliest return of winter conditions to Tahoe since 1969, according to weather forecasters. According to the Central Sierra Snow Lab, the flurries predicted with this storm will make the shortest duration between snow storms since 1969. The lab – located in Norden – got its last measurable snow on July 1 – 96 days ago.

As late as April of 2011, the Water Management Chief for the Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, expressed an opinion in an e-mail to a concerned citizen that the mountain snow melt this year would "be nothing to write home about." This internal e-mail, among many others recently released through a Freedom of Information Act request by Gannett's Washington Bureau, exposes that assertion as a gross misstatement of known facts. The e-mails reveal that a cadre of hydrologists, engineers, and National Weather Service (NWS) officials had repeatedly warned the chief, Ms. Jody Farhat, beginning in January about the danger posed...

WELLINGTON (BNO NEWS) -- Heavy snow fell in many parts of the North and South Islands of New Zealand on Monday, causing major disruption, closing schools, roads and airports, the local daily New Zealand Herald reported on Tuesday. Forecasters have said that more snow is expected to strike much of the country later on Tuesday, turning the novelty into far more treacherous conditions. The blizzards have already caused a number of car accidents as well as power outages in hundreds of houses which were left in very cold conditions. Meanwhile, severe disruptions are again expected on Tuesday for schools, businesses...

A "white earthquake" of heavy snow has blanketed parts of Chile leading the government to declare a "disaster area" in eight municipalities where around 16,000 people were left isolated. Temperatures plunged to as low as -23 C (-9.4F) in some rural areas as severe snowfall wreaked havoc, leaving people without food supplies, mobile phone signals or radio communications. Miguel Mellado, governor of the province of Cautin, said that in four days from Sunday to Wednesday the area had seen "four months worth of snowfall." In the town of Lonquimay, around 350 miles south of the capital Santiago, more than 6,500...

The race director of a 100-mile ultra-marathon foot race through the Flathead National Forest has cancelled the event due to lingering snow ...the snow won't melt in time for the event scheduled for July 29. postponing the race would pose problems with shortening daylight hours and increased grizzly bear activity.

Summer visitors to Lake Powell will experience water levels last seen ten years ago, according to a new report by the Bureau of Reclamation. The report predicts water levels to be 3,665 feet above sea level by mid-August, a level not seen since 2001. In the last two months, the nation’s second largest man-made lake has added 28 feet of water elevation with half of the snowpack still left to melt. This excess snowmelt is creating more areas to explore at Lake Powell, America’s favorite houseboating destination. ... Lake Powell’s rising water level is a result of the long and...

<p>A summer that looks a whole lot more like winter has travelers across the West scrambling to revise their Fourth of July itineraries — or at least their packing lists.</p> <p>Ski poles are replacing fishing poles at popular hiking and camping spots where late-winter snowstorms blanketed Western mountains from the Rockies to the Sierra Nevada.</p>

Mount Washington to open in July for first time everBy Lindsay Chung - Comox Valley Record Updated: June 21, 2011 2:07 PM Thousands of people skied and snowboarded this weekend at Mount Washington — and this wasn't even their last chance. Mount Washington Alpine Resort opened to skiers and boarders in June for the second straight year this Father's Day weekend, and with so much snow still on the hill, the mountain will be opening for skiing and boarding July 1, 2 and 3 — the same time as it opens for summer operations with its Mile High Chairlift rides....

Winter weather is returning to Colorado, just a day before summer officially begins. ... Weather forecasters warned 3 to 8 inches of snow is expected

Major road into Yosemite to open after snow delayUpdated: 6/15 3:43 pm YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — A major road into Yosemite National Park is set to reopen this weekend after a delay because of heavy winter snow. Officials say Tioga Pass Road will be cleared by 8 a.m. Saturday, allowing visitors to enter through the park's east gate. It'll be the fourth-latest opening since officials began keeping records in 1980. At 9,945 feet, Tioga Pass Road is the highest east-west crossing of the Sierra Nevada. A snowpack almost twice what is normal has hampered road-clearing crews, who usually...

The summit of Snowdon under a white blanket of snow: it's a picture postcard cliche. But if you thought this photograph was taken in the dark days of winter then think again. The wintry scene, at the Snowdon Mountain Railway's terminus near Hafod Eryri, was photographed at 1300 BST on Friday - in the middle of June, days before the start of Wimbledon and just over a week before the summer solstice. ... Given the vagaries of the Welsh weather and Snowdon's 1085m (3560ft) altitude, experts say such climatic contrasts are to be expected from time to time. "It's not...

Mauna Kea, the highest island mountain in the world, is cloaked with snow--a sight you don't normally see during the early summer months. Video at the link

That’s from the avalanche center in the Tetons, and here is a current web-cam view up Yosemite Valley towards still-closed Tioga Pass (in the left background): AP has a nice roundup of late snow and snowpack news (including the Teton quote). Just weather. No mention of climate. Nothing this time about snow and cold being caused by global warming. Now if we could just get the press to do the same when there is a regional hot spell. Still, it’s progress. Remember the spinning on last winter’s snowzilla? Most amusing was Al Gore’s quote from “the scientific community“: A rise...

Trail Ridge Road will not open for Memorial Day weekend because heavy snow has hampered plowing efforts. Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous paved road in the United States, climbs to 12,183 feet and connects the towns of Estes Park and Grand Lake through Rocky Mountain National Park. The road traditionally opens for Memorial Day weekend. Last year, it opened May 28. However, park snowplow operators found a deeper than usual winter snowpack when plowing began earlier this month, and more snow fell in storms last week. Park spokeswoman Kyle Patterson said there are 17-foot drifts above Rainbow Curve on...

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA 545 AM PDT MON MAY 16 2011 CAZ042-043-048-050-055>058-060>062-PZZ750-PZZ755-171300- ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL AREAS-SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS-SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE-SAN DIEGO COUNTY VALLEYS-SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS-SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-APPLE AND LUCERNE VALLEYS-COACHELLA VALLEY-SAN DIEGO COUNTY DESERTS-COASTAL WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT TO THE MEXICAN BORDER AND OUT 30 NM-WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT TO THE MEXICAN BORDER EXTENDING 30 TO 60 NM OUT INCLUDING SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND- 545 AM PDT MON MAY 16 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF...

Just checked the aviation wx for S. Lake Tahoe Airport and right now (7:10PM PDSAT), it's snowing with visibility 2 1/2 miles, temp: 33F. I live in SOCAL but I've been to Tahoe before this time of the year previously on a number of occasions, and I don't remember it being this cold or snowing. Is this unusual?

NEW YORK -- Phoebe Snow, a singer, guitarist and songwriter whose song ''Poetry Man'' was a defining hit of the 1970s, has died. Rick Miramontez, her longtime friend and public relations representative, says Snow died Tuesday morning. He says she died of complications from a brain hemorrhage she suffered in January 2010.

For all the talk of this past winter being one for the record books, the reality is much different. While extremely cold conditions gripped some sections of the country at various times during the past few months, the winter of 2010-2011 actually served up temperatures that were just a little cooler than average over the entire contiguous United States. Records from thousands of weather stations across the lower 48 states from December through February show the past season did not even crack the coldest one-third of winters since 1895, when very reliable recordkeeping began.

OGDEN -- Snowpacks in the Wasatch Mountains are at near-record-high levels and there is real danger of flooding along the Weber and Logan rivers, but the National Weather Service says there won't be any flooding if the weather Sunday turns mild and drier. Do not hold your breath hoping that happens.

AFP Snow blankets Japan's tsunami deadlands Wed, Mar 16, 2011 TOKYO, JAPAN - A blanket of snow covered disaster areas of northeast Japan on Wednesday, amid a cold snap in the debris-strewn wastelands created by last week's quake and tsunami catastrophe. Survivors and rescue crews - already facing an acute lack of water, supplies and fuel, power blackouts and poor telecommunications - had their troubles compounded by snow flurries over roads and rubble. Temperatures in the worst-hit Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures fell sharply to near zero degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit), and the meteorological agency forecast a drop to...

Japan raced to avert a catastrophe on Wednesday after an explosion at a quake-crippled nuclear power plant sent radiation wafting into Tokyo, prompting some people to flee the capital and others to stock up on essential supplies. The crisis escalated late on Tuesday when operators of the facility said one of two blasts had blown a hole in the building housing a reactor, which meant spent nuclear fuel was exposed to the atmosphere. Prime Minister Naoto Kan urged people within 30 km (18 miles) of the facility -- a population of 140,000 -- to remain indoors, as Japan grappled with...

Once again we are in for a storm snow north rain south it's getting old.

Protesters Ready For Another Rally At CapitolSnow, Freezing Rain Could Complicate Protests Posted: 10:12 am CST February 20, 2011 MADISON, Wis. -- Dozens of protesters are gathering **SNIP** Both sides in the protests over union rights in Madison are expected to face a new foe on Sunday: the weather. As much as 3 inches of snow is projected by noon Sunday. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for a large swath of the upper Midwest, including most of Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota. A winter storm warning is in effect for west-central and southwestern Wisconsin until...

Reno, Nev. (AP) -- The latest in a string of powerful storms is dropping heavy snow and causing widespread school closures and traffic delays Friday in the Reno-Lake Tahoe area. The Alpine Meadows ski resort just north of Tahoe reports receiving up to 4 feet of snow over a 24-hour period ending Friday morning for a total of as much as 9 feet of snow since the storms began on Monday. Other Sierra resorts are reporting 4 to 7 feet of new snow this week.

Canadian geese flew over Nana's house in SE TN at 5.25 PM (EST) The first sighting for the year. The temperature is 70 degrees right now at Nana's house. Does this mean the snow is gone from up North ??? Does this mean the groundhog did not see his shadow ??? Does this mean Algore can come out of hiding ??? Discuss.

We already have deer frolicking about in the yard... Shouldn't be long now, kids- lolHang in there!More news/views/humor at Reaganite Republican

The heaviest snowfall in more than a century on South Korea's east coast is causing widespread chaos. Hundreds of houses have collapsed under the weight of the snow. One newspaper described it as a snow bomb. The South Korean government has deployed 12,000 soldiers to rescue stranded residents. The worst weather has been in Gangwon province. Weather experts say there will be more snowfall in the area in the coming hours

Best stop and look both ways... tracks or not This 15-second web movie features a railroad crossing near Donnybrook, North Dakota, about 40 miles northwest of Minot on US 52. I've got to imagine all that snow muffles the sound, and this thing could really sneak up on you if not paying attention. Looks like they've got a pusher engine added to the rear for incremental snow-plowing umfff... This is pretty cool (sorry)... click -here- More at Reaganite Republican

See what happens when snow storm meets obnoxious neighbor. Link

A man was shot and robbed of a snowblower in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side early this morning -- the first shooting since this week's blizzard hit on Tuesday, police said. This week's storm kept crime down so much that the shooting was one of the first serious crimes reported to police since the storm landed, Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis said. There had been no shootings in the city since around 3 p.m. Tuesday, when the snow first hit, according to preliminary data.

6 in of powdery snow here and it is still coming down thick. No one is out. There are no reports on the wire yet.It has been no warmer than 25 deg all week..http://www.wbap.com/goout.asp?u=http://apps.dot.state.tx.us/travel/road_conditions2.htm

From Al Gore's blog on the continuing canard that global warming creates snow. ...the scientific community has been addressing this particular question for some time now and they say that increased heavy snowfalls are completely consistent with what they have been predicting as a consequence of man-made global warming: See the entire post here Global warming isn't real... Oh ok, that settles that. It's important to note that while he continues to hide behind the skirts of scientists the link he supplies in the quote points to an opinion column by Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune. I would say...

The second Geology Picture of the Week for this week is a very clear picture of the Alps from space. Click for 10x larger. For fun, try to find where the Matterhorn is. Because it's close to the Italian border (borders are shown on the large image) it's not too difficult to do.

If there ever was a sign that we've had more than enough snow this winter, here it is. Bergen County, New Jersey administrators found themselves in quite a pickle this winter. With their plowing budget quickly running dry, they've come up with a juicy solution. Bergen County is just across the Hudson from New York – and despite being among the wealthiest counties in the nation, this winter has busted their budget for snow removal. Road salt comes at a hefty premium, and being only halfway through winter, they've invested in a new, and much cheaper, snow melter: pickle juice