Fresh Snowfall Hits Northwestern Peaks; Cold Records Fall In Montana And Alberta; Frosts Hit The Aussie Tropics; Michael Mann: Tool of the Establishment; + Three Big Sunspots

Heavy June snow hits Alberta.

Fresh Snowfall Hits Northwestern Peaks

As many Americans plan for the Fourth of July, mountain peaks in the northwest are experiencing unseasonable snowfall.

Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood, Oregon, reported 7 inches of fresh snow on Sunday.

The storm also hit Silver Mountain in Kellogg, Idaho, blanketing Kellogg Peak under an unseasonal layer.

The snow disrupted the North American Enduro Cup (NAEC) races, forcing the cancellation or alteration of multiple stages.

As the storm moves east, peaks in Montana, Wyoming, and parts of Colorado are expected to see up to a foot by Thursday.

Fresh snow falls at Silver Mountain Resort, ID.

Cold Records Fall In Montana And Alberta

Western North America has held cold this week.

Billings, Montana posted its lowest-ever temperature for the date on Tuesday, while north of the border, in southern Alberta, at least seven communities set new cold records for June with some breaking benchmarks that had stood for over a century.

Despite the chilly start to the week, summer-like warmth should return by Saturday. Increasingly, wild fluctuations are proving the theme, swings between extremes. Alberta saw 30cm of snow on Tuesday, just days out from the 30C forecast on the summer solstice.

Frosts Hit The Aussie Tropics

Chasing the cold records set earlier in the week, Australia's southeast has continued to shiver through Wednesday, with numerous locales experiencing their coldest June morning in at least 20 years.