Antarctica Suffers Coldest-Ever Temperature This Early Into A Year; Heavy March Snow To Sweep UK–Emergency Coal-Fired Power Plant Readied; Record Cold And Snow To Persist Across U.S.; + Hokkaido Avalanche

Cap Allon

Antarctica Suffers Coldest-Ever Temperature This Early Into A Year

Exceptionally low temperatures continue to grip the Antarctic continent.

Following Vostok’s bone-chilling -65.2C (-85.4F) –an incredibly rare reading for early March– the Antarctic station chilled even further during the early hours of Monday morning, March 7, to a historic -68.1C (-90.6F).

This is suspected as being the coldest temperature ever recorded on Antarctica this early into a season. For reference, -64.7C (-84.5F) is the lowest temperature ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere in February (again at Vostok, Antartica)–although some books state -65.5C (-85.9F) as being the record Feb low.


Antarctica is cooling — the data is clear and undeniable.

The ice sheet has also been steadily expanding over the past 7-decades, at least.

The ice loss occurring this season –picked up on by a few MSM outlets and climate ambulance chasers alike– is due to circulation patterns (i.e. winds) within the Antarctic vortex. The vortex is particularly strong (and cold) this year, and these winds are driving the more malleable ‘easy come, easy go’ sea ice offshore and into the oceans. The main ice sheet remains steadfast.

To reiterate, Antarctica’s sea ice is not melting due to human prosperity (i.e. CO2 emissions) as the establishment would have us believe, it is simply being ‘blown’ out to sea. It can’t be melting: Antarctica has been exceptionally cold in recent years, posting its coldest-ever coreless winter (April-Sept) last year, and routinely holding below monthly averages and felling historic low temperature record after historic low temperature record ever since.

Temperature plays a frustratingly small role–at least where the AGW Party is concerned–in the behavior of global sea ice.


Heavy March Snow To Sweep UK–Emergency Coal-Fired Power Plant Readied

Snow and ice is expected to sweep much of the UK this week, even across southern England where sizable accumulations are forecast, particularly for the time of year.

The Met Office has said more than foot of snow could fall in Scotland, with inches settling further south.

Temperatures will also be bone-chilling, with perhaps -18C (-0.4F) on the cards. Such a reading would rival the coldest temperatures ever recorded in the UK in the month of March. Checking the record books, for March 7, -18.9C (-2F) is the lowest temperature registered in the UK, which was set in Cumbria way back in 1886 (The Centennial Minimum).

As a result of the looming cold, the Met Office has issued extended weather warnings for London, the Thames Valley, East Anglia, parts of the Midlands and South Wales; Northern Island has a similar warning in place; with snow warnings issued across northern England and Scotland.

Conditions will be similar to those suffered during the disruptive Arctic Outbreak back in December, and may not lift for almost a fortnight, so says Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge.

“Temperatures will be much, much colder than we would expect at this time of year,” said Madge.

“The pattern will set in for some time. We have got this feed of cold air coming in from a much higher latitude. We expect these conditions to remain in place until at least next weekend and possibly longer because sometimes these conditions can be quite stubborn and not easily subject to change.”

Madge continued: “This is a disruptive spell of weather which could have quite serious consequences for some. Listen to the forecast, take account of weather warnings and expect to see some potentially disruptive conditions wherever you are.”

The Met Office has warned of impending travel disruptions.

While the UK Health Security Agency has placed northeast England, northwest England and Yorkshire under a level three cold weather alert, with the rest of England at level two. –A level three alert calls for a 90% chance of severely cold weather, icy conditions or heavy snow, which could increase the health risk to vulnerable patients.

The snow has already arrived in Scotland:


And also in northern England:


This late-season Arctic Outbreak is also boosting demand for natural gas and is testing the UK’s creaking energy network.

The National Grid has instructed an emergency coal power station to start warming up ahead of the polar blast. The West Burton A plant near Retford in Nottinghamshire will be placed on standby to meet surging energy demand as temperatures plunge.

The plant is one of three that were due to close in September 2022 but have been kept online amid energy security concerns.

This descending cold isn’t just confined to the UK, of course — the northern tier of mainland Europe will also be hit.

GFS Total Snowfall (cm) March 7 – March 14 [tropicaltidbits.com].


Record Cold And Snow To Persist Across U.S.

This has been a winter to remember for many across the United States–and Canada, too.

Even now, large swathes of Northern California remain under winter storm warnings, with residents in southern parts of the state still pleading with authorities for help following the latest round of record-setting snowfall.

“We’re stranded,” one Crestline resident told CBS News. “We’re imprisoned. We can’t get down.”

Another local waited three hours in a food line: “The neighbors across the street, they have two little kids,” she said. “They need some milk.”


“It feels like nobody cares about us up there,” said another resident.


Weeks into the ordeal and many many roads remain blocked. The sheer weight of the accumulating snow has also caused roofs to collapse, encased entire homes and cars, and cut off the power to tens of thousands.

And looking ahead, an additional three feet of snow could accumulate in the state’s Central Valley this week, say the NWS.

Although historic and disruptive, you’ll note very little climate alarmist ‘fist-shaking’ at the sky during these Arctic Outbreaks. Such an absurdity, it would appear, only rears its head during heat-induced disruptions — aka ‘summertime’.

Exiting California, heavy snows and anomalous lows have been impacting much of the United States in recent weeks.

Wyoming, for example, is suffering an extremely cold and snowy winter of 2022-23.

Wildlife managers across the state are actively monitoring the impact on big game and are noting increased mortality.

“Wyoming is used to tough winters, but it has been a while since we have had a winter where severe conditions were so widespread across the state,” said Doug Brimeyer, Wyoming Game and Fish Department deputy chief of wildlife. “Wildlife managers throughout the state are acutely aware of the effects winter is having on big game populations.”

At this time, one of the biggest concerns is with public safety as some big game herds cross roads and highways as they move to lower elevations and habitats in search of forage.

While in Colorado, March has started cold and is setting up to be the fifth consecutive month with colder-than-normal temperatures.

Focusing on Denver, the recent trend of cold weather started back in November with the city holding 4F below average; December turned out to be another anomalously-cold month; January was historically frigid; with February finishing lower than the norm. And now, throughput the first week-or-so of March, the city is officially running 3.6F below normal.

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[CBS]


Official forecasts are calling for a cold month of March across the majority of the U.S., particularly central and eastern states.

The Climate Prediction Center’s 6-10 day temperature outlook says below-average temperatures will grip much of the country beginning this weekend and lasting next week–and possibly much longer.


Plunging Arctic air could bring snow as far south as the southern Appalachians next week and into the mid-Atlantic. There’s even a shot of snow for Washington, DC — even with some cherry blossoms around the capital already blooming.

The Tennessee Valley, for example, will get hit with a big temperature swing, going from the 80s last week to highs in the 40s next week. We could see several mornings with temperatures below freezing, which is a huge concern for agriculture.

“The main impact that we’re concerned with is the vegetation or potential crop losses … because we do expect freezing temperatures to reach pretty far south,” said Jon Gottschalk, Branch Chief at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.


Hokkaido Avalanche

Two skiers have died in Japan this week, buried under avalanches — one at Mount Yotei and the other at Mount Pekerebetsu.

All-time record-breaking snow has pounded large areas of Japan this winter season, with February seeing extremely rare flurries settle at Omaezaki, located at the tip of Omaezaki Peninsula on Japan’s Pacific coast. Previously, the city had only received snow in 1966 and 1996 (solar minimums of cycles 19 and 22, respectively), and never more than 3cm (1.18 inches).

Avalanches have become numerous across Japan’s northern prefectures of late, particularly in Hokkaido.


Thank you for all the fox-proofing tips.

The two cunning buggers (one red, one grey — I’ve seen them so they’re definitely foxes) returned yesterday –during the afternoon!– and picked off another 5 chickens. I’m keeping the survivors inside for the time being while I work on coop improvements: That’s traps, concrete footings, barbed wired, electric fencing, and leaving the dog outside!

We’ll see how it goes.

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