LEO Network

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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

Earliest break up ever in Newhalen, spring is way early
I have been speaking with elders in the community and they have never before seen the river break up that soon.
Newhalen, Alaska, United States
Sonny Lamont, Richard L Thoman Jr, Crane Johnson

Oiled ducks euthanised
A vet this weekend euthanised a majority of the eider ducks being looked after in Suðureyri, the Westfjords, after over 9,000 litres of oil spilled into the sea from a tank owned by the Orkubú Vestfjarða energy company. The leak killed at least a hundred birds, but dozens more were rescued.
Suðureyri, Westfjords, Iceland
RÚV

'We have NEVER documented this before': Tofino tourism operator witnesses killer whales attacking humpback
As the group approached, there was a lot of splashing and porpoising. It was determined that the pod of whales was attacking a juvenile humpback whale.
Tofino, British Columbia, Canada
CHEK

‘We’ve never seen this before’: River overflow on winter road to Old Crow delays supplies
First trucks made week-long pitstop on river bank due to overflow on newly completed winter road. On the first attempt to cross the overflow, a truck’s front tires went through approximately eight inches and the vehicle had to be towed out, in the report. No one was hurt, and there was no damage done.
Old Crow, Yukon, Canada
Yukon News

First Tulips Bloom Ahead of Schedule
Tulips of the Korolkov variety (Tulipa korolkowii) have started to bloom a month early in the southern Zhambyl region. The air temperature has hovered around 16 degrees Celsius since mid-February.
Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
The Astana Times

Dozens of vehicles damaged as roads crumble
A large number of drivers have suffered damage to their vehicles, including tyre blow-outs, as winter weather has caused potholes to appear in roads maintained both by local councils and the road and coastal administration. Repairs are underway, but conditions are still bumpy, as heavy snow has turned to ice, and then to rushing meltwater on several occasions. Such conditions are notoriously damaging to road surfaces.
Reykjavík, Capital Region, Iceland
RÚV

The polar bear was driven away from the village in the Chukotka district
On Wednesday morning, March 2, marine hunters of the community "Daurkin" found a polar bear 1.5 kilometers from the village of Laurentia on the ice of the bay. The animal was driven away from the village towards the sea. Two weeks previously, 11 polar predators were spotted near the village of Neshkan.
Lavrentiya, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia

A polar bear attacked a resident of the Chukchi village of Neshkan near the carcass of a whale
A man injured by a polar bear was transported by helicopter to the Chukotka regional hospital from the village of Neshkan. The incident happened near the village. The predator attacked a man near the carcass of a whale that died last fall, Chukotka news agency reports.
Нешкан, Чукотский район, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia
Prochukotku

Japanese skeleton shrimp found in Nateekin Bay
Historically cold temperatures made it difficult for invasive species survive in Alaska. The Japanese skeleton shrimp *Caprella mutica* is now established in Unalaska area and in this observation observed on a buoy line in Nateekin Bay.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States
Melissa Good, Tammy Davis, Elizabeth E Mears

Pussy Willows at Kotzebue during winter
Pussy willows sprouting on March 1st! This is the second time in Kotzebue that a March bloom has been documented in LEO Network., but this time it is much earlier.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
Katie Spellman, Jimmy Evak, Richard L Thoman Jr

Encouraging signs in Huu-ay-aht rivers, despite salmon declines elsewhere
Observations this year from Huu-ay-aht territory see that volume of herring may finally be improving, as the First Nation is reporting a growing number of wild salmon migrating through its rivers.
Anacla 12, British Columbia, Canada
Ha-Shilth-Sa

Wild and windy winter "worst in 20 years"
A steel-framed building was broken apart by wind in Hafnarfjörður on Friday, search & rescue teams attended over a hundred call-outs, and Hellisheiði and other important roads were closed once more. February was one of the coldest and windiest for many years.
Reykjavík, Capital Region, Iceland
RÚV

Hooper Bay working to contain sewage spill that is threatening important subsistence location
The spill followed a sudden rise in warm temperatures in recent days. Hooper Bay Mayor Sandra Hill said that the thaw and rain had melted the previously frozen land surrounding the sewage lagoon, causing a wall of the lagoon to cave.
Hooper Bay, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Arctic sea ice reached its maximum extent at a near-record early date
The melt season for Arctic sea ice is underway after the annual maximum extent was reached late last month. Sea ice extent reached its annual maximum on Feb. 25, 15 days earlier than the 1981-2010 average date and one of the earliest dates for that milestone in the four-decade satellite record.
Saint Paul, Alaska, United States
ArcticToday

Even Japan’s snowiest towns are overflowing with record snow
Central and northern Japan have received record snowfall this week, with some locations seeing as much as 12 feet.
Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Washington Post

Bering Sea ice reaches St. Paul for a week, now recedes north
The main Bering Sea ice pack has begun its retreat to the north after extending to the Pribilofs earlier this month. This winter’s freeze-up has been reminiscent of more historical sea ice conditions.
Pribilof Islands
KNOM Radio Mission

Stormy weather canceled flights to Dillingham, leaving some passengers waiting days in Anchorage
Only two passenger flights from Anchorage made it to Dillingham within the last week — one on Saturday and one on Monday. Another flight is expected Tuesday afternoon.
Dillingham, Alaska, United States
KDLG

Storms kill three in Poland as strong winds pummel central Europe
Video footage shows a 30m crane tower being toppled by the severe weather in Krakow.
Kraków, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland
The Independent

Landslide briefly blocks access to hydro dam after record rainfall in Sitka
Rainfall in Sitka broke records on Wednesday, and February is shaping up to exceed the month’s typical rainfall by leaps and bounds.
Sitka, Alaska, United States
KTOO

Eleven polar bears were driven away from the Chukchi village of Neshkan
The report came from game managers in the Chukotka region. Predators were noticed on the night of February 17-18 and were driven away from the settlement on snowmobiles by employees of the "Bear Patrol". Earlier, a similar incident occurred in Lavrentiya. At the same time, in the village of Ryrkaypiy, Egvekinot city district, where from year to year the walrus rookery attracted dozens of polar predators, everything is still calm due to the vast ice field.
Нешкан, Чукотский район, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia

Whale’s body spotted near Tenakee Inlet
The humpback whale was first reported dead or stranded on Killisnoo Island on Feb. 10th, by Alaska Marine Highway System personnel, said Sadie Wright, a large whale entanglement response coordinator with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries division. The animal with a long history in the area has been necropsied.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Juneau Empire

40-Meter High Wave Hits Icelandic Coast
The Road and Coastal Administration reported record-high waves at the south coast of Iceland as a severe storm swept the county.
Reykjavík, Capital Region, Iceland
The Reykjavik Grapevine

Extreme Weather Across Iceland Causes Power Outages and Damage
A winter storm caused power outages and property damage across Iceland. Winds reached speeds of 40 meters per second (89 mph) in the Southwest region, though precipitation was less than forecasted. See related article: A total of ten waves of 25 meters high and four waves over 30 meters high were recorded. A 40 m wave was the highest recorded since 1990.
Iceland Review

Uncommonly consistent, strong winds rip through Western Alaska
These windy conditions have started to negatively impact sea ice coverage in the Bering Strait. Based on satellite imagery and observations from residents across the region, more open water has started to appear along coastlines and thicker ice has been pushed around, climatologist Rick Thoman said. He noted that sea ice conditions are drastically different in the Bering Strait than they were five days ago.
Nome, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

Coyote Sightings in Ottawa South
One morning in February, 2022 when I went for a walk, I noticed footprints of a four legged animal going in the direction of my path. The footprints looked different from those of dogs and given that I recently read about coyote sightings in the area, I quickly headed home.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

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