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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Observations

Late Freeze up in Lower Kuskokwim
Late freeze on the Lower Kuskokwim produced ice conditions unsafe for travel in November.
Oscarville, Alaska, United States

Drivers Need To Stick To Marked Trails On Lower Kuskokwim River
Drivers need to stick to marked trails on the Lower Kuskokwim River, according to the latest update from Bethel Search and Rescue’s Earl Samuelson. There is a spot in front of Oscarville that has only 9 inches of ice, which Samuelson says is too thin to drive a truck on.
Oscarville, Alaska, United States
KYUK

String of collapses at Del Mar bluffs
Officials press forward with emergency plan following string of collapses at Del Mar bluffs.
Del Mar, California, United States
Los Angeles Times

Avalanche prompts road monitoring re-think
“I wouldn’t have been on the road if there had been an avalanche warning in effect,” says a woman who fell victim to an avalanche along Flateyrarvegur in the Westfjords on Friday. The avalanche-prone road is not currently monitored, but Vegagerðin is now looking at improvements.
Flateyri, Westfjords, Iceland
RÚV

Dawson City ice bridge looking uncertain again this year
Now three years in a row the river is jammed, upriver from Dawson, and that leaves a big open lead of water right in front of town.
Dawson, Yukon, Canada
CBC

7.0 earthquake, aftershocks strike Southcentral Alaska; damage reported across region
Seismologists called the quake the most significant in the state’s largest city since 1964, in terms of how strong the ground itself shook.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Earthquake creates massive sinkhole on Anchorage roadway
At least one car was on the ramp at the time of the quake, a photo of which circulated on social media Friday morning.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
KTVA

Changing winter conditions
This was the warmest autumn on record for western Alaska. Local observer comments on how lack of sea ice is effecting fish and bird behavior.
Golovin, Alaska, United States

In Siberia, When it Snows it Snows
In the industrial city of Norilsk in Siberia's Krasnoyarsk region, which sits above the Arctic Circle, visibility dropped to zero and buses, planes and ships were canceled or rerouted as a snowstorm raged on Tuesday, reaching speeds of 25 meters per second. The city's emergency services stayed on high alert as a holiday was declared for children and mobile heating stations were set up.
Норильск, Красноярский край, Russia
Moscow Times

California fires: Number of missing soars over 1,000 as Paradise reels from unfathomable losses
The death toll in the Camp fire in Northern California rose to 63 Thursday as President Trump planned to visit California to meet with people impacted by the wildfires in what marks his second trip to the state since his election.
Paradise, California, United States
latimes.com
Alene Tchekmedyian, Nicole Santa Cruz, Javier Panzar

'New normal' ferocious winds whip up deadly California fires
Two deadly wildfires fueled by "devil winds" tore through opposite ends of California on Sunday, with residents urged to heed evacuation orders by officials forced to leave their own homes. In northern California, the Camp Fire is one of the deadliest and most destructive in the state'
Paradise, California, United States
Reuters

Aftermath of Nov. Storm at Kivalina
Kivalina, Alaska, United States

Seismologist says earthquake may have triggered mudslide on the Haines Highway
Southeast Alaska had a very dry September. Heavy rains returned to the region this month, triggering a large mudslide on the Haines Highway.
Haines, Alaska, United States
KHNS - Haines

'It's like a war zone': Nun among 12 dead as flash flooding hits France
In what the local weather agency said was some of the worst flash floods the Aude river has seen in more than a century, the heavy rainfall brought the equivalent of up to seven months' rain fell in just a few hours.
Villegailhenc, Aude, France
ABC News

Magnitude of Storm Callum captured as Scots hit by landslides and 70mph winds
The stunning image from the University of Dundee shows the scale of the extreme weather engulfing the country. And it comes as heavy rain has caused further landslips delaying the reopening of the key roadways.
Scotland, United Kingdom
The Scottish Sun

Whaling captain, crew member die in boating accident
The two men, who were both part of an active whaling crew, were in one of the boats on a towline, towing a whale to shore, when their boat flipped, according to fellow whalers who were there when it happened.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Arctic Sounder
Alaska Media, LLC., Steve Keller designer and application developer

Arctic communities won't get crucial supplies after barge cancelled due to excess sea ice
Three Arctic communities fear they've been cut off from crucial winter supplies and other necessities after a government-owned company cancelled an annual barge run.
Paulatuk, Kugluktuk, Cambridge Bay
Global News

Low Coastal Cloud Ceiling on Landing
White, puffy, clouds unusually close to the land.
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States

When Heavy Rain, Erosion and Gravity Cause the Earth to Give Way
In the mountainous areas like western Pennsylvania and West Virginia, heavy rainfall is not just a hassle, but can lead to problems exacerbated by the region’s constrained topography.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Route Fifty

DOT officials puzzle over soggy ground – with no recent rain – at site of Seward Highway landslide
State transportation workers found wet ground may have contributed to the small landslide, despite the lack of recent rain.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Seaweed Takes Over Popular Beach at the Grand Turk Cruise Center
Sargassum Seaweed has invaded the beach at the Grand Turk cruise center which is popular with cruise ship passengers.
Cockburn Town, Turks and Caicos Islands
Cruise Hive

Changing ice conditions clear way for historic fuel delivery by barge to Alaska's North Slope
An Alaska company says changing ice conditions in the North Slope area have allowed it to make a bulk fuel delivery to Prudhoe Bay by barge for the first time.
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States
CBC

Squirrel population surges in Northeast, as does roadkill
Biologists say plentiful food and other conditions are helping the rodents to thrive, and now the young ones are hitting the road.
Cape Neddick, Maine, United States
Press Herald

Investigators, experts ask questions after ship grounded in Arctic
Investigators are on their way to Kugaaruk, Nunavut, after a passenger boat ran aground in the area.
Kugaaruk, Nunavut, Canada
CBC

‘Atmospheric river’ from the tropics pours rain on Southcentral Alaska
Days of rain have triggered flooding in Cordova and slowed drivers on the Taylor Highway and McCarthy Road.
Cordova, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Hot weather continues to cause problems for railways
Buckled train tracks, fires and thunderstorms are causing major problems for the country's railways, Thursday.
Gotlands län, Sweden
Radio Sweden

Cruise ship exhaust prompts complaints to state authorities
Exhaust emissions from a Norwegian Cruise Line vessel docking in Juneau prompted at least 10 complaints to an Alaska regulatory agency.
Juneau, Alaska, United States

State reroutes Dalton Highway to protect motorists from migrating ‘blob’
Transportation engineers moved the road to avoid a giant mass of frozen debris sliding downhill.
Livengood, Alaska, United States

Record Arctic heat drives reindeer into cool tunnels
The region is so hot that it has experienced 12 "tropical" nights with evening temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius so far this year, according to the Norwegian Meteorological Institute.
Finnmark, Norway
The Local

Snow and hail blanket southern Alberta highway — in July
Highway 22 in southern Alberta was blanketed in what looked like snow but was probably hail, making roads slick and slow.
Sparwood, British Columbia, Canada

Wildfire 'tornado' destroyed 500 structures, killed 2
A local firefighter who was killed fighting a fast-moving wildfire was identified Friday as crews continued to battle the blaze in Redding, California.
Redding, California, United States
USA TODAY

After deadly wildfires, floods hit Greek capital
Firefi­ghters say around 160 reside­nts have been briefl­y trappe­d in their homes due to the floodi­ng
Ekali, Αττικη, Greece
The Express Tribune

Hundreds of Arctic glaciers shrinking, disappearing into 'city of icebergs'
The statistics in her recently published paper say it all: hundreds of glaciers in Canada's High Arctic are shrinking and many are likely to disappear completely.
Slidre Fjord, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut

Death toll in Japan floods nears 200 as intense heat brings threat of disease
Intense heat and water shortages raised fears of disease outbreaks in flood-hit western Japan on Thursday as the death toll from the worst weather disaster in 36 years neared 200. More than 200,000 households had no water a week after torrential rains caused floods and set off landslides across western Japan, bringing death and destruction to decades-old communities built on mountain slopes and flood plains. The death toll rose to 195, with several dozen people still missing, the government said on Thursday.
Saka, Hiroshima, Japan
The Independent

Summer snow falls in parts of Newfoundland: 'Never seen it this late in June'
Two centimetres had fallen in parts of Newfoundland
Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Lake Cowichan Gazette

Some Parts of B.C. Just Got Hit With 20-40cm of Snow
Snow arrived in certain parts of British Columbia over the last 24 hours, providing citizens with up to a whopping 20 cm.
Silver Star Mountain Resort, British Columbia, Canada
604 Now

Unauthorized driving, wetter-than-normal spring behind Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway closures | CBC News
This spring’s closures on the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway are a result of unusually wet weather and drivers failing to respect road closures, according to engineers with the Northwest Territories Infrastructure Department.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada

Ellicott City devastated by another flood as heavy rain drenches the Baltimore region
Ellicott City was devastated by heavy rain Sunday, just two years after the historic city in Howard County was forced to recover from another flash flood.
Ellicott City, Maryland, United States
baltimoresun.com

Concerned About Discoloration of Snow Along North Slope Roads
Questions raised about the impacts of vehicle exhaust and soot on snow deposition as well as dirt and dust from roads.
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States
Raphaela Stimmelmayr, Mike Brubaker, Eunice Brower

B.C. flooding: Ottawa sending military to help flooded communities, evacuations in Fraser Valley
Military help is on the way to B.C. communities ravaged by floods, as rivers rise and more people are forced out of their homes around the province.
Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

Railroad traffic still stalled as Talkeetna flooding recedes
Flooding that halted Alaska Railroad trains north of Talkeetna Saturday, has receded, but train traffic remains shut down. Listen now
Curry, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

‘Wall of ice’ from Susitna River damages railroad tracks
A 7-foot "wall of ice" from a Susitna River ice jam slammed into Alaska Railroad tracks north of Talkeetna on Saturday, pushing the rails 25 feet off course, the railroad said Monday.The Alaska Railroad is racing to make repairs in time for the start of its tourist season on Wednesday.
Talkeetna, Alaska, United States

This winter saw second highest snowfall in recorded history
The snowfall in Nome over the winter didn’t break the all-time record but it came close. According to the National Weather Service, 115.5 inches of snow fell, making the winter of 2017/18 number two for snowfall since modern weather reporting began.
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Eastern Washington flooding reaches emergency levels
Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee proclaimed a state of emergency Saturday for counties in the eastern part of the state
Omak, Washington, United States
CBS/AP

Increased Turbulent Experience and High Winds While Flying during Winter Season
Passenger experiences usually turbulent conditions on winter flights.
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States

Landslides Disrupt Community Infrastructure
Landslides threatened community water supply, transportation, and residential homes.
Ivanof Bay, Alaska, United States
Moses Tcheripanoff, Richard Buzard, George Anderson

Residents drive north on winter snow roads
The roughly 300 miles of hard-packed snow roads were constructed under the Community Winter Access Trails (CWAT) project, headed by the North Slope Borough.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Arctic Sounder

Strong winds batter Anchorage
One reading on the Hillside clocked winds reaching 91 miles per hour. The day saw reports of property damage, road closures and downed power lines.LEO Note: According to Rick Thoman of NWS, these are unusually high winds for April.
Alaska Public Media

Windstorm slams Southcentral Alaska with gusts over 80 mph
One reading on the Hillside clocked winds reaching 91 miles per hour. The day saw reports of property damage, road closures and downed power lines.LEO Note: According to Rick Thoman of NWS, these are unusually high winds for April.
Laurel Andrews, Michelle Theriault Boots, Zaz Hollander

'Catastrophic' overland flooding shuts down southern Alberta highway, threatens Taber homes
We have experienced since Oct. 2 a very unseasonable Alberta winter. High snowfalls, a few Chinooks and certainly we knew some time ago we were in for an interesting spring ... but this is unprecedented...
Taber, Alberta, Canada

2018 Weather, climate disasters already costing record amounts
So far in 2018, there have been three climate and weather disasters that have cost $1 billion or more.
United States
Newsweek

High and dry: Destruction Bay dock rendered useless by declining water levels - Yukon News
Glacial changes have caused Kluane Lake water levels to drop so low the dock is unusable.
Destruction Bay, Yukon, Canada
Yukon News

Bethel highway repair begins as warm winter destroys state roads across Alaska
Starting Thursday, the Department of Transportation will begin repairing Chief Eddie Hoffman Highway. The warm winter has wreaked similar havoc on highways across Alaska.
Bethel, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Tribes plow longest Kuskokwim ice road ever
The Kuskokwim River now has its longest ice road ever, despite having the warmest winter on record.
Crooked Creek, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media / KYUK Bethel

It’s 32 degrees on the Iditarod Trail, and middle-of-the-pack mushers and their dogs are getting wet
For a March evening in the Interior Alaska village of Nikolai, Tuesday was warm.
Nikolai, Alaska, United States

At least six dead as nor’easter slams East Coast with violent wind, rain, snow and floods
From Massachusetts to Virginia, the East Coast was pounded by a storm that threatened to break records. Nearly two million people lost power.
Baltimore County, Maryland, United States
Washington Post
By Karen Weintraub, Bill Hewitt, Amy B Wang, Eli Rosenberg & Keith McMillan

Police urge motorists in snowy south to stay at home
Heavy snow and high winds continued to cause travel chaos for south-eastern parts of Sweden, Wednesday.
Eslöv, Skåne, Sweden
Radio Sweden

Rome covered in rare snowfall
Roma, Roma, Italy
ABC News

Storm Related Erosion
Without ice to provide protection from storm waves, Port Heiden has lost the old town road.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States

Subsistence hunters are adapting to a warming Alaska with new, high-tech tools
The weather was warm and the ice was late in coming, so Dennis Davis set up a piece of equipment unknown to his Inupiaq forebears: his drone.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States
TheWorld

Left to Louisiana’s Tides, a Village Fights for Time
For the community of Jean Lafitte, the question is less whether it will succumb to the sea than when — and how much the public should invest in artificially extending its life.
Jean Lafitte, Louisiana, United States
New York Times

Flood Sweeps Away Ring Road
Flooding has destroyed a section of Ring Road One in East Iceland.
Hofn, East, Iceland
Iceland Review

Climate change spells turbulent times ahead for air travel
From rising temperatures preventing take-off to rising seas flooding runways, aviation needs to adapt to changes already grounding flights around the world
Phoenix, Arizona, United States
the Guardian

Changing climate forces mushers to break new trails
The route of the Yukon Quest traverses Lake Laberge for the first time in decades, and that's not the only dog sled race affected by the changing climate.
Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada
CBC News

Fierce storm drops a foot of snow on Anchorage in 24 hours
The storm that walloped Southcentral Alaska also left about 32 inches of snow in Moose Pass and 30 in Seward.

Deadly storm hits Netherlands and Germany
A fierce storm sweeping across northern Europe kills eight people and halts Dutch and German trains.
Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
BBC News

Detah ice road ties record for latest opening
The ice road between Detah and Yellowknife is opening Friday, a date that ties a decades-old record.
Yellowknife Ice Road, NWT

State report details potential health impacts of climate change
How will climate change affect health in Alaska? Dangerous travel conditions could cause more accidents, warmer temperatures could spread new diseases and the topsy-turvy weather could worsen mental health. Those are some conclusions from a new state report released Monday. Listen now
Newtok, Alaska, United States
Rachel Waldholz, Alaska's Energy Desk - Anchorage

There Are So Many Open Holes, Search And Rescue Ran Out Of Blue Tape To Mark Them
The warm winter has made traveling on the river ice more hazardous than Bethel Search and Rescue ever remembers.
Oscarville, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Roads, cars submerged: Storm rages with snow, floods - The Boston Globe
The powerful winter weather storm was slamming into Massachusetts by mid-morning Thursday, bringing blizzard-like conditions in some areas, torrential rain in others, power outages and hurricane-strength winds on Cape Cod and the Islands.
Quincy, Massachusetts, United States
The Boston Globe

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