CYPRUS IS WHITE; ALASKA’S “PANDEMIC OF SNOW” MEETS RECORD COLD; GREENLAND AT -71F; SOUTH POLE’S HISTORICALLY COLD JAN; EXTREME ARCTIC BLAST CHINA; + EVIDENCE POINTS TO A RETURNING GRAND SOLAR MINIMUM

The COLD TIMES are returning...

Cyprus Is White

Parts of Cyprus have been blanketed by heavy snow.

A video of the Troodos Mountain Range, shared by the Weather Enthusiasts of Cyprus on Facebook, showcases the spectacle:

An orange weather warning remains in place across swaths of the country, with the emergency services on high alert.

The Police have issued a travel advisory, noting that roads leading to the Troodos area, including Platres-Troodos, Karvounas-Troodos, and Prodromos-Troodos, have been closed to the building snow.

This part of the world, i.e. Turkey, Greece and the Middle East, have been truly buried in recent weeks:

The Snow Is Now 7 Meters (23 Feet) High In Hakkâri, Turkey; Eastern Europe Freezes; Arctic Air Enters Eastern Asia Delivering Record Snow To China, With Japan Now In The Firing Line

Alaska's "Pandemic Of Snow" Meets Record Cold

Alaska's “pandemic of snow” is forecast to continue through the weekend. Records lows are also expected.

All-time record-smashing accumulations of snow have built across Alaska this winter, including in the major cities of Anchorage and Juneau (see link below). The falls have led to many roofs collapsing, boats sinking and key roads being blocked by avalanches.

Now comes the biting cold, with the next few days on course to deliver some of the state's lowest temperatures in decades.

"Cold air will settle into place across southcentral Alaska from midweek and into the weekend," reads an NWS report.

"Highs around or below zero and lows well below zero are likely for much of the area outside of immediate coastal locations along the PWS and Gulf of Alaska. ... it's entirely possible ANC [Anchorage] records its lowest temp since 2009" -- colder elsewhere.

This morning (Feb 1), a low of -45.6C (50.1F) was posted by the Mcgrath Airport, located on the Kuskokwim River.

As for the snow, the National Weather Service expects its return by Saturday night and its persistence through until next Tuesday—at least.

7 Feet Of Snow In Iran; China Issues Snowfall Warnings Across 13 Provinces; Western U.S. Will Be Piling Powder By The Feet; Anchorage's Snowiest Season Ever; + Arctic Sea Ice

A quick word on the Western U.S., watch the forecast snowfall pile up on the mountains of California over the next 48 hours — to 6 feet:

And note, much, much more will be drop during the next powerful storm, due Sunday.