"Heavy snow has been pounding the higher elevations of the Western U.S. in recent days, with record-challenging accumulations hitting some peaks and summits.
Early measurements on Monday saw totals nearing the 2 feet mark as a Level 5 out of 5 atmospheric river met with a descending Arctic air mass:
Heavy snow is being reported in the Sierra! Here are some early measurements, with already over 2 feet up at Sierra pass levels! A Winter Storm Warning is in effect until 11 pm tonight, so avoid mountain travel if possible.
#CAwx pic.twitter.com/MyirrsheiF
— NWS Sacramento
(@NWSSacramento)
October 25, 2021
27 inches of snow since last night at @UCB_CSSL near Donner Summit. 41 inches for October so far which is about 415% of average for the month using the 50-year average of 10 inches in October!
pic.twitter.com/1rtQCfmlHj
— Tahoe Weather
(@TahoeWeather)
October 25, 2021
As the day progressed so did the snowfall totals.
So far, up to 6 feet of global warming goodness has been registered in some parts–at elevations above 8,000 ft.
Record Cold Sweeps Scandinavia
Scandinavia’s much anticipated Arctic blast peaked on Sunday and it didn’t disappoint, delivering record low temperatures and heavy snowfall.
As reported by mkweather.com, a total of 9 meteorological stations across Sweden and Finland reported morning minimums in the -20 to -25C (-4 to -13F) rang.
A low of -24.6C (-12.3F) was observed in Nattavaara — Scandinavia’s coldest October temperatures for 15 years (since 2006).
Regional record October lows were also registered: Latnivaara, Sweden, for example, suffered -23.5C (-10.3F); Nikkaluokta, also Sweden, logged -23C (-9.4F); while Salla, Finland observed -21.5C (-6.7F).
The -24C originally registered in Nattavaara (since confirmed as -24.6C).
The mkweather.com article links Scandinavia’s “extreme early cold blast” to
1) a persistent NAO phase, and
2) an “anomalously cold Arctic” which has led to impressive ice growth (only 3 years out of the last 15 have seen a higher Arctic sea ice extent).
The mkweather article also recalls the recent record October low registered on the Greenland Plateau where an automatic meteorological station measured an “excessively low” -50.8C (-59.4F) last week — a record reading for mid-October.
Accompanying Scandinavia’s big freeze, northern parts of Sweden, Norway and Finland have all reported anomalous dumps of snow totaling as much as half a meter (1.64 feet) — “such high snow cover hasn’t been measured here in October in decades”.
... “Remarkable” Cold Spell Hits Hong Kong
After a toasty start to October, Hong Kong is now suffering what is being described as a “remarkable” cold spell.
On Friday, October 22 the mercury at the Hong Kong International Airport dropped to 16.8C — the weather stations second lowest October temperature in recorded history (beaten only by a reading in 1997–solar minimum of cycle 23).
Nearby Tai Moh Shan Peak plunged to 9.9C
— HK’s earliest reading below 10C also since 1997."