"Unusually Cool March" In New Zealand; Antarctica Nears -100F; Rare Spring Cold Grips NW China; Brits Priced Out Of Energy Market; Norway Freezes; + Another X-Flare

CO2 emissions down, living standards down -- a clear correlation.

"Unusually Cool March" In New Zealand

New Zealand's MetService is forecasting a cold Easter weekend for the country, continuing the March theme.

With a low of -1C (30.2F), Christchurch posted its second-coldest March temperature on Friday in books dating to 1954. Only the -1.3C (29.7F) of March 18, 2020 is colder.

The likes of Blenheim and Wellington also notched abnormally frigid readings, of 1C and 7C (33.8F and 44.6F) respectively.

"It has been an unusually cool March," said MetService meteorologist Ngaire Wotherspoon.

"We are looking at further cool temperatures for the rest of Easter ... cold overnight temperatures, especially for the North Island ... getting down to 4C and 5C (39.2F and 41F) even around Taupō and Whakatāne," Wotherspoon added.

Most of the South Island endured single-digits (C).

The fourth-consecutive overnight flurry of snow hit the South Island's higher reaches.

The first flakes of the year have already fallen at Otago's Cardrona ski field, arriving earlier than usual, so says the area’s general manager Laura Hedley. "We got a couple of centimeters yesterday," she said; "I think we're going to get a little bit more today."

Hedley is hopeful that the early snowfall is a sign of a cold and snowy winter to come.

Antarctica Nears -100F

Antarctica's seasonal low has again been reduced: to -71.8C (97.2F), set at Concordia during the late hours of March 28.

This is making for quicker-than-average transition to winter at the bottom of the world, following a historically cold 'summer' that included the coldest November for 40 years, the second-coldest Dec on record, and the second sub -30C January in a row.

Taking a look at the Antarctic Sea Ice, as we're down here — it's doing just fine:

With extent currently doing better 1980:

There is no cause for alarm:

Rare Spring Cold Grips NW China

A fresh influx of Arctic air is entering Northwest China.