Europe Freeze 2012. Canals in Venice Starting to Freeze Over (hot, towns, lows)

[dunno what to put here]

Last winter was very cold in Europe too - the UK had its second coldest December on record, so it's not as clear cut as that

[Rozenn]

But winter 2009-2010 was cold in both Europe and the US no? Negative AO and NAO would favor cold weather in both Europe and eastern US, so the current situation looks abnormal. Btw till the end of January this was a very mild winter in Europe too. I don't think the two weeks of cold weather were able to "eat" all the positive anomaly accumulated so far. Though if it continues in Eastern Europe, it may turn below average there.

Originally Posted by Cambium

Yes, Urbino was one spot that I've seen. And thats near the Adriatic Sea. I'm wondering if the Waters and Seas are playing a role because like that spot in Romania its also by the Sea.

Yes, Adriatic and Black sea moisture turned into an overwhelming coat of snow.


EDIT: I second the previous post.

[deneb78]

Originally Posted by Cambium

I litterally can't keep up with the news from out there.

Here's a video of Romania villages litterally buried in snow. They are living in their homes which are now caves under the snow!

Even Italy villages buried in 9 feet of snow.

Whats even more insane... this video shows the location is the same Latitude as upstate NY and south of Burlington Vermont.


Romania Villages Buried in Snow - Feb. 2012 - YouTube

I got some of this video translated for those who are interested to know what they were saying. The general sense is:

Title: Lost in a sea of snow.

Hard for old people to survive - not a lot of food.

No water, no electricity

Everyone walking on their roofs of their houses

Young people helping dig out

Finally got to one of the isolated houses - under 5 meters of snow - where a sick lady lives.. (actually she was just terminally fat - 150 kg)

A lot of people trying to save the animals (for food)

Kids don't know about it - no way to tell them

[Cambium]

Are they migrating to a warmer climate? lol

Its the same Latitude as North of Quebec in Canada or the northern part of the Great Lakes in U.S



Source: Europe weather: Rivers, lakes and even seas are iced over as bitter Siberian cold leads to temperatures of almost -40C | Mail Online

[dunno what to put here]

Not sure what's happening elsewhere in Western Europe but the cold spell is well and truly over here with the snow all gone bar a few small patches - temperatures up to 50F

[Cambium]

Meant to put this post in this thread here for my Euro friends.

4 Graphs here of the temperature anomalies.

Top Left: If we use January 1st to present day it does not show many areas of below normal temps. Thats because it started after mid January this year.

Top Right: Notice the much below normal temps and more widespread and as far south as Spain and Northern Africa. Not much warmth except at the poles this year.

Bottom Left: January 1st to present day last year shows cold. This is only because it actually started in December and warmed up by February.

Bottom Right: Starting mid January to present day 2011 notice the cold air retreated and above normal temps happened in many areas.

I think when we talk about the cold that happened last year we dont realize there were areas nearby of above normal temps and the below normal temps didnt get that far south last year.

[Rozenn]

Last year it was mainly in December in NW Europe and in mid to end February in Eastern Europe. Inbetween it wasn't that special I believe.

[nei]

A good overview of the European cold outbreak:

Weather Extremes : Overview of the European Cold Wave a Snowfall During February 2012 : Weather Underground

[Pretzelogik]

Originally Posted by Cambium

Guess it deserves its own thread.

“There are some famous pictures of a 1927 freeze-up And according to the Cambridge Encyclopedia of the Sun by Kenneth R. Lang, during Europe’s “Little Ice Age”, Venice’s canals regularly froze over.

Famed historian Will Durant wrote that the winter of 1708-1709 was one of Europe’s worst in centuries and froze the laguna solid.

www.terradaily.com/reports/Big_freeze_tightens_grip_in_Europe_as_death_toll_t ops_220_999.html


Germany, Berlin : Sheets of ice float in the river Spree in Berlin February 2, 2012 as temperatures remained well under 0 degrees celsius in the German capital.

All due to global swarming don't you know.

[Rozenn]

Originally Posted by nei

A good overview of the European cold outbreak:

Weather Extremes : Overview of the European Cold Wave a Snowfall During February 2012 : Weather Underground

Thanks for the link. So no country record lows as expected, though Czech Republic was close. I'm surprised by their Finland record low, -57.9°C/-72.2°F. I didn't know than Lapland went below -55°C. From the looks of it, Kevo is a frost hollow, so it explains it all.
Speaking of frost hollows, the Glattalp sinkhole in Switzerland has proven its potential again.