The warm spell, which is expected to last into the last week of January, is the result of a low-pressure cyclonic system of warm air from the south.

The precipitation, although lasting just a few days, was good news for dams supplying water to more than 15 million people in the city. Just a few weeks after a drought alert, dams have seen a rise in their water levels.

Finland is emerging from a deep freeze, giving way to milder temperatures and more snow. On Saturday three people in Helsinki fell through the ice at two different locations within the same 15-minute period.

Last week, a 908-foot Russian tanker carrying liquified natural gas passed south through the Russian side of the Bering Strait, with two more to follow.

After a summer that saw high water levels and even higher concentrations of metal in two N.W.T. rivers, water testing is showing a return to normal, and a limited impact on local wildlife.

Although bears may hibernate for different lengths of time during winter, winter bear activity is an uncommon sight for Alaska Peninsula residents.

City of Whitehorse crews have been dealing with record amounts of snow on residential streets and roads. Thousands of truckloads of snow will be hauled away keeping a small army of city workers and contractors busy with plenty of overtime.

More than 50,000 juvenile fish were killed or escaped in the incident on Skye, says an industry body. The Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) said predation attacks continued to have a significant impact on fish health and welfare.

A large feed boat belonging to fish farming company Laxar sunk in Reyðarfjörður, East Iceland last weekend. Vísir reports that divers were sent out to the ship yesterday to assess the risk of oil leakage from the vessel, which contains around 10,000 litres of diesel oil in addition to 300 tons of feed.

Father missing under snow; more than 200 people continue search and rescue at -23C, snowstorm and bleak light of polar night.

The unexpectedly heavy snowfall has blocked roads, left the emergency services unable to circulate and has caused dangerous situations due to falling branches.

The A5 pod has returned to the Broughton Archipelago, their traditional winter hunting ground, with a brand new baby in tow.

A rare bird was spotted last week in Yukon. Birders flocked to Haines Junction last week to spot a hawfinch, which was thousands of kilometers out of its usual range.