Oil from damaged Russian tankers has contaminated beaches in Crimea, with significant environmental cleanup efforts underway.

On January 2nd, a repeat oil spill was observed on the beach near the Dynamo recreation base in Anapa, discovered by a volunteer team from the Leningrad region of Kuban, who are responsible for this area.

Just under 2 inches of new snow fell the entire month, making it one of the least snowy on record. Last season was the second snowiest on record. The winter of 2011-12 set the record for the city’s snowiest. A few winters later, Kutz said, “we dropped down to minimum snow.”

Anchorage experienced an unusually low-snow December in 2024, with only 1.9 inches recorded, contrasting sharply with the heavy snowfall of the previous year and creating ideal conditions for ice skating but challenging ones for skiing.

December in Kodiak was the second rainiest on record, with 14.73 inches of rain, driven by a weather pattern similar to December 1985. Only three days were without measurable precipitation, and the month was notably warmer, with rain continuing into January.

A severe weather event featuring strong winds and ice accumulation caused a power outage for 73 customers in Umiujaq, Quebec on December 30, 2024. The remote community relies on Hydro-Québec's off-grid system, and while power was restored by December 31, the airport terminal remains reliant on a backup generator.

A sea otter was seen climbing onto surfboards and following surfers near Sooke, British Columbia, prompting safety warnings from Fisheries and Oceans Canada regarding interactions with marine mammals.

The Yukon government is investigating a potential leak in a contaminated water storage pond at the Eagle Gold Mine, which is at a critical water level. The mine has been out of operation since a landslide in June 2024.

On December 27, Chukotka will experience cloudy weather with patches of clearing, and temperatures may drop to minus 53 degrees in the continental region.

Several avalanches occurred in Súðavíkurhlíð in Iceland's Westfjords, resulting in the closure of the road. Ongoing avalanche hazards and adverse weather conditions continue to impact the region.

A rare sighting of a cougar was reported in Vancouver's urban Dunbar area, close to Pacific Spirit Regional Park, prompting caution among residents.

A juvenile mammoth was found in Siberian permafrost, remarkably preserved for over 50,000 years, near Batagaika crater.

Helsinki experienced its strongest recorded earthquake on Christmas Day, with a magnitude of 1.1. Though minor, it startled many residents, who reported a loud bang in the Käpylä area.

Rankin Inlet in Nunavut experienced a power outage on Christmas Day due to snow and freezing rain causing ice accumulation on power lines, disrupting local services.

An unusually low snowfall has left green grass visible on Anchorage's hillside, making for an atypical non-white Christmas in Alaska.

BC Ferries has cancelled all sailings between Duke Point and Tsawwassen on December 25th due to severe weather forecasts predicting high winds and heavy rain.

Nome experienced an unprecedented weather event with record-breaking high temperatures in December, reaching 44°F, disrupting daily life as rain turned snow into ice, and causing school closures and transportation challenges. This is only the second time in Nome’s 119 year climate history that the temperature has stayed continuously above freezing on back-to-back days in December.

During the Christmas bird count in Bethel, despite high winds, volunteers spotted two bald eagles and a red-breasted nuthatch, marking the first sighting of the nuthatch in 21 years of the event.

There have virtually no songbirds at our bird feeder this month. Wondering (and a little worried) where they have all gone to, and whether this is neighborhood, or something that is being noticed more broadly.

Wildlife officials report that bears in Tofino and Ucluelet have learned to breach bear-resistant garbage bins, leading to concerns about increased bear-human conflict.