Snow In Both Hemispheres; Arctic Sea Ice Going Nowhere; + Hockey Sticks And Fairy Tales

The 'hockey stick' graph as a product of poor data handling, methodological flaws, and misleading statistical practices.

Snow In Both Hemispheres

As the Southern Hemisphere's ski season winds down, its Northern cousin's is commencing in impressive fashion.

Starting in the south, Australia’s season was thought to be over, with Perisher, its largest resort, closing earlier than planned after the remaining snow melted. But a surprise spring freeze is blowing in this week, one forecast to dump late-Sept/early-Oct snow on Tasmania and also across the peaks of Victoria and New South Wales.

September Snow In Lapland; Another Polar Blast To Slam Southern Africa; October Snow For The Aussie Alps; The Return Of The Sausages; + Autumnal Cracks In Earth's Magnetic Field

New Zealand’s resorts are holding on, battling fluctuating temperatures that are creating classic freeze-thaw conditions. Mt Hutt maintains the country’s deepest snowpack, while Cardrona and Coronet Peak are managing to keep 90+% of their terrain open.

Snow in 'Australia & NZ' is still holding strong, following mid-September's record-setting peak:

Snow area extent for Australia and New Zealand [electroverse.space/climate]

Whakapapa, New Zealand on September 24, 2024.

Headed to South America, the likes of Chile and Argentina are also experiencing some final dumps, capping off what has been one of the best snow seasons in living memory.

Valle Nevado in Chile extended operations into late October thanks to consistent heavy snows throughout the year. While Argentina’s Chapelco, currently boasting the world’s deepest snowpack, is holding on.

Cerro Bayo, Argentina on September 24, 2024.

While in Southern Africa, the late-season snows have proved historic (and deadly), with yet more forecast this weekend.

Snow area extent for Southern Africa [electroverse.space/climate]

Switching to the Northern Hemisphere, winter is arriving in spectacular fashion, especially in the European Alps, where a record-breaking 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) of September snow has prompted early openings at many resorts, particularly on Austrian glaciers.

Big Freeze And Early Snows In Mongolia; Mount Everest; Historic 8 Feet Of Snow Confirmed In The Alps; Valle Nevado, Chile Extends Ski Season Amid Record Snow; + NERC Warns Of Gas Shortages

Anticipation is also high for North America’s season, where early mountain snowfall has been healthy and widespread — such as on Colorado’s Crested Butte which logged half a foot up top yesterday (Sept 25):

Crested Butte Mountain, CO on September 25, 2024.

Arctic Sea Ice Going Nowhere

"If the hottest year ever can’t precipitate ‘ice-free’ conditions in September, what’s it going to take?" asks zoologist Dr Susan Crockford.