Unusually heavy rains in Lapland have caused water levels to rise near flood levels, and further rises will depend on temperatures over the next few days, with climate change being a contributing factor.
Southern parts of the country can expect showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday, with more severe storms possibly hitting central areas by evening.
A mother and child lost their lives in an avalanche on Tuesday while skiing at Pallastunturi in northwestern Finnish Lapland.
May was also exceptionally dry in many areas. According to the FMI, Savukoski, a village in eastern Lapland, recorded the most rainfall last month with 59.4 millimeters.
Strong winds and heavy snowfall have led to flights being delayed, trains being cancelled, and motorists told to avoid unnecessary journeys.
Heavier rains and aging distribution networks are triggering more cases of public water supply contamination. The local utility takes water from the Esse River for processing and distribution. Because of recent heavy rains and strong runoff, it contains an unusually high level of solid matter.
The last time the water levels were this high in some places was in the late 1990s or early 2000s. According to the Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), floodwaters will likely spill onto fields and roads in parts of southern and western Finland, but not into buildings.
Chugach Electric acknowledges the high frequency of winter power outages in Cooper Landing and Moose Pass, attributing them to heavy snowfall and considering solutions like local maintenance crews.
Alaska is one of the only places in the world where peony flowers grow in the summer months. But the unusually cold, wet weather this year is delaying the blooms by weeks.
All schools in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Borough are closed Wednesday due to slick roads across the region, as snowfall continues. “This is the heaviest snowfall the Anchorage area has seen in over 20 years,” said state Department of Transportation spokesman Justin Shelby. “Our crews are keeping up as best they can.”
Heavy rains and melting glaciers are making landslides in the area more common, says a geologist.
With Anchorage schools remote again due to a 17-inch snowfall and strong winds, another storm is hitting Southcentral Alaska, potentially causing power outages as trees fall on electric lines.
The slides come near the end of an avalanche season experts say is notable both for its heightened danger and lack of deaths.
A landslide in Ketchikan resulted in one fatality, multiple destroyed homes, and ongoing emergency responses, following heavy rainfall.
Meteorologists say the brunt of the storm is likely headed for the southern edge of the Seward Peninsula.
A winter storm in Anchorage and Mat-Su, Alaska has caused closures of state offices, schools, and bus services, with reports of stranded vehicles and accidents, and up to a foot of snow expected in some areas.
The warehouse at 4640 Gambell St. damaged Wednesday is owned by Marten Martensen, the primary owner of the Continental Auto Group in Anchorage. He was part of a group that purchased the property in October 2022 and briefly used it to store around 10,000 tires until last December’s successive snowstorms caused the structure to begin collapsing.
Snow dumped on Southcentral Alaska this weekend, with more than 8 inches falling in the Anchorage area and about 5 inches in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. A Climatologist says this weekend has led to a record amount of snowpack this late in the season.
A major winter storm is continuing to bring heavy snow, blizzard conditions and significant ice from California to the Northeast on Thursday.
Anchorage experiences unprecedented rainfall, leading to road closures and flood advisories due to overflowing creeks and waterlogged streets.
All Topics
All Countries
Any Date
Apply