Winter Returns To Europe; Record Snows Slam The Balkans; Alta Hits 850 Inches; + “Dangerous Blizzards” Sweep The Northern Plains

Cap Allon

Winter Returns To Europe

A harsh wintry outbreak is gripping Europe this week, bringing harsh frosts and heavy April snowfall.

Temperatures across the likes of France have plummeted below freezing; practically all of the country has been affected, even the Mediterranean.

The dramatic shift in conditions, ‘the return to winter’, will bring widespread losses to France’s agricultural sectors. Optimistic estimates, made by agro-climatologist Serge Zaka, call for 30% of blooming fruit trees to be destroyed.

The anomalous warmth that hit at the end of March coupled with this week’s hard freeze is making it difficult for crops to grow stably, with the erratic shifts in temperature and environment resulting in stunted growth: swing between extremes.

Temperatures touching -7C (19.4F) swept many French regions overnight Tuesday, with the majority of thermometers reading below 0C (32F). Daytime temperatures will rise in the warming April sun, but it will still hold far-colder than the seasonal norm.

Likewise in Germany and Italy, clear skies are seeing temperatures plummet even further, with damaging frosts hitting here, too.

This late-season freeze recalls memories of the past two years when cold records were slain across Central Europe. ‘Frost fires’ (aka ‘crop candles’) became a regular feature on the continent during the Aprils of 2021 and 2022, with said fires capable of increasing the surrounding temperatures by as much as 3C–but at a cost: €2,000-€3,000 per hectare.


Here is the outlook for Wednesday, April 8:


Record Snows Slam The Balkans

Europe’s fierce chill isn’t confined to central regions, the Balkans is also enduring an unexpected return to winter.

Unusual spring lows and record-breaking snows hit the Western Balkans Tuesday, causing major disruptions. Residents in cities across the likes of Serbia, Bosnia, and Kosovo woke to the rare sight of trees and bushes blanketed in April snow.

Heavy snow led to falling tree branches in Serbia, with one such event seriously injuring two Belgrade teenagers. The deeps drifts blocked several roads in the south and southwest of Serbia, and a myriad of towns and villages were left without power. Accidents have been numerous, including a bus sliding off a snow-covered road, injuring 18 people.

With regards to the records, Belgrade surpassed 20 cm (8 inches) of snow on Tuesday — the highest snow depth ever recorded in the city during the month of April in books dating back to 1888 (besting the old record of 10 cm set in 2021).

In addition, with a high of just 1C (33.8F), Tuesday is believed to be the coldest April day ever experienced in Belgrade.


Records are also falling across the likes of Bosnia, Kosovo and Croatia; and also in Romania where heavy snow has blanketed the country’s Carpathian Mountains, causing major disruptions.


Alta Hits 850 Inches

Unending snowstorms across the Western U.S. have driven Alta’s season totals to 850″ — well past the all-time records.


Despite baseless AGW Party rhetoric of a CO2-driven mega-drought, Alta’s snowfall trend was up even before this year’s unprecedented dumpings, as visualized below:


Alta isn’t the only Utah resort to set a new all-time snowfall record this week.

Snowbird hit 785 inches–and counting–Tuesday morning, busting its previous highest-ever mark of 783 inches set in 2010-11.


“Dangerous Blizzards” Sweep The Northern Plains

A strong interior West storm system has evolved into a “dangerous blizzard” which is now pounding the Northern Plains.

AccuWeather meteorologists are warning of another travel-halting snow this week, one arriving just days after the previous snowstorm caused localized blizzards from the northern Plains to northern Michigan.

This latest winter storm is delivering exceptional totals across a wide-spanning area–totals that are forecast to be the highest of the entire winter season thus far, which is saying some. Regions to be worst hit include north of the Great Lakes, western Nebraska, eastern Wyoming, the Dakotas as well as northwest portions of Minnesota and Ontario.

“For cities such as Rapid City and Pierre, South Dakota, as well as Fargo, North Dakota, this storm is likely to be at the top,” Benz said. Residents of Rapid City, for example, experienced multiple winter storms that each brought 5–10 inches; but this latest storm has the potential to drop more than 2 feet once its done.

Duluth, Minnesota–for example–is expecting 10 inches from the latest storm. Such a reading would vault this winter to the snowiest on record, usurping the current top spot: the 135.4 inches held by the winter of 1995-96 (solar minimum of cycle 22).


Official NWS blizzard warnings are in effect for most of the Dakotas, eastern Wyoming, northwest Nebraska and western Minnesota. Heavy snow also continues to buffet the likes of Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California, and across the border into Canada.

Looking ahead, little let-up is in sight as the winter of 2022-23 drags on:

GFS Total Snowfall (inches) April 5 – April 21 [tropicaltidbits.com].
GFS 2m Temperature Anomalies (C) April 5 – April 7 [tropicaltidbits.com].
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