A powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake near Hokkaido prompted Japan to issue a tsunami warning, highlighting both strong ground shaking and immediate coastal hazards for Sapporo and nearby communities. Details in the post are limited, but the alert suggests authorities anticipated potentially dangerous waves following the mainshock.

About 20,000 households were without power late Saturday afternoon, from Glacier View to Knik Goose Bay Road. Some railroad crossings were disabled due to wind damage.

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck at 11:41 a.m. AKST on Dec. 6 about 58 miles north of Yakutat, Alaska, followed by a vigorous aftershock sequence with several above magnitude 5. No tsunami warning was issued and no injuries or damage had been reported as of early afternoon.

Elevated lead levels were found in drinking water fixtures at Mildred Hall School in Yellowknife, the fourth Yellowknife school to test positive this year. The N.W.T. government will fund alternate drinking water for any territorial school while testing and remediation continue.

An arctic cold front drove overnight lows to record levels in Maine, with Portland hitting 2°F and Augusta 3°F and wind chills below zero. Communities opened warming centers as forecasters warned wind chills could drop to minus 30°F in parts of the state.

A Grand Arctic Resort guide fell through river ice with a snowmobile on the Kalix River near a bridge in Överkalix while grooming winter trails. He got wet but climbed out uninjured; the snowmobile and sled sank and were to be salvaged the next day.

Reykjavík’s Health Inspection warns of high particulate matter near major roads in Reykjavík and Kópavogur during calm, dry weather, advising children, older adults, and people with respiratory illness to avoid busy roads and for the public to use alternatives to private cars.