Heavy Snow Hits Azerbaijan; Spain Ripping Out Ancient Olive Groves For Solar Fields; Europe Gas Prices Surge After Qatar LNG Shutdown; + University Of East Anglia Concedes Urban Warming Is Substantial
Urbanization is inflating the global temperature record. The warming signal is not purely climatic, is the University Of East Anglia's admission here — and it's a big one.
Heavy Snow Hits Azerbaijan
Heavy snow continues across Azerbaijan, with the deepest accumulation Monday reported in Shahbuz at 37 cm (14.6 inches).
Other high-elevation regions are also seeing substantial totals. Kishchay (Shaki) measured 33 cm (13 inches), Alibay (Zaqatala) 25 cm (9.8 inches), and Khinalig and Griz saw 24 cm (9.4 inches).
The broader pattern extends beyond the Caucasus. Kazakhstan and other parts of Central Asia have also been hit by repeated winter systems in recent weeks, reinforcing regional snowpack.
That accumulation is feeding into the bigger picture.
Northern Hemisphere snow mass is currently tracking above the 1982–2012 average.
With totals approaching 3,100 gigatons, according to GlobSnow data, mass is now riding some 300 gigatons above the norm.
Late-season snow across Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Siberia, and parts of North America is helping keep hemispheric snow mass elevated as the seasonal peak approaches.
Spain Ripping Out Ancient Olive Groves For Solar Fields
In Andalusia, Spain, centuries-old olive trees are being uprooted for utility-scale solar farms.
Olive trees can live hundreds of years. Many take decades to reach peak yield. They stabilize soil, support pollinators, and anchor local economies.
Hundreds of thousands of them are being cleared for panel arrays.
