No Spring In Sight For Much Of Russia; Temperatures Are Falling Globally; + Ruang Volcano Erupts To 55,000 Feet
This looks to be a noteworthy 'cooler'.
No Spring In Sight For Much Of Russia
April snow is building across Russia.
Starting in the east, the likes of Magadan and Kolyma have seen substantial spring snowfalls of late which have pushed the snow depth to 58 cm (1.9 ft) in the former, setting a new record there.
Looking west, to European Russia, freezing lows and heavy snows have returned to the Leningrad region, among others.
As forecast by hmn.ru, the snow will intensify into the weekend here, "after which the Northern capital will become white with snow."
St. Petersburg, for example, is enduring "a return of winter landscapes due to the collision of a southern cyclone with cold Arctic air." Here, daily highs will hold around the freezing mark for the foreseeable, which, when combined with the intensifying snow, will make for chaos on the roads — a situation compounded by the vast majority of motorists having switched to summer tires.
Temperatures Are Falling Globally
Continuing West, Europe is dealing with a fierce swing between extremes this week.
In Slovenia, for example, summer crashed back to winter in less than day:
Speaking to the heavy spring snow, flakes are falling from Scandinavia and Scotland down through France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy, out east over the likes of Ukraine, and also down south well-into the Balkans.
Over a meter (3.3ft) is settling in some parts, with much more on the way.
Checking in with alpine webcams, these heavy snows are extending the ski season:
Heavy snow has been falling at very low levels too (for the time of year), down to 400 meters (1,300 ft) in Southern France:
“Il neige dès 400-500 mètres sur le Massif Central ce 18 avril ! Images de la commune d'Évaux-les-Bains dans la Creuse.” — Meteo Express on X
Latest forecasts reveal these anomalous lows and heavy snows are set to stick around.
"We thought this year Europe had been sparred from the 'April damnation' but hell no," writes @extremetemps on X. "Every run the cold is worsened AND prolonged with no real end in sight. Say goodbye to your apricots for the fifth year in a row."
What good is 'global warming' if year-after-year late-season freezes delay the onset of spring:
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