winter

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'Unusually Normal' Winter Is Great News for California

Snowpack is at 110% of average

(Newser) - California authorities are celebrating something that's becoming increasingly rare: a normal snowpack measurement. The early April survey—a key indicator of water supply and wildfire risk in the months ahead—found a snowpack measurement of 110% of the historical average, the Guardian reports. The last winter this close to...

In a Place Famous for Winter, 'What If Winter Never Comes?'

Life is currently 'unrecognizable' in Wisconsin's Northwoods, where snow and ice have been sparse

(Newser) - Maple sugaring season has kicked off early in Wisconsin's Northwoods—great news for pancake lovers, but not-so-great news for this area and other parts of the Upper Midwest that are experiencing what the Washington Post calls a "lost winter."
  • What's going on: Warmer-than-usual temps in Wisconsin
...

Finland, Sweden Are Seeing Record Freezing Temps

Just another day in frigid paradise on Tuesday as cold snap puts Nordic countries on blast

(Newser) - Finland and Sweden recorded the coldest temperatures of the winter Tuesday as thermometers plummeted to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit as a result of a cold spell prevailing in the Nordic region. In Nikkaluokta, a small village inhabited by the Indigenous Sami people in northern Sweden, thermometers showed temps of minus...

Reindeer Eyes Change Color When It's Cold
Reindeer Eyes Change
Color When It's Cold
new study
Dec 24, 2023 12:20 PM CST

Reindeer Eyes Change Color When It's Cold

Study suggests it's to help them find their favorite food in the dark

(Newser) - Forget the red, shiny nose—reindeer have a more fascinating story to tell through their blue-shining eyes. The reindeer are unique in that their eyes change color depending on the season, from a golden reflective hue in warmer months to a blue one in winter, per the Washington Post . Now,...

There's a Reason Why You May Need to Sleep Longer in Winter

Scientists say people get more REM sleep in colder months, might need to adjust sleep habits

(Newser) - If you're annoyed at how much sleep you seem to need in the winter, you're not alone—and scientists think they're closer to understanding why. The Guardian cites new research out of a sleep clinic in Berlin, where scientists examined nearly 190 patients who were there for...

Sun Goes Down on 2020 in Northernmost US Town

Utqiagvik won't see another sunrise for 66 days

(Newser) - The sun has gone down on 2020 in America's northernmost town. In Utqiagvik, Alaska, formerly known as Barrow , the sun went down at 1:29pm Wednesday after being up for 34 minutes and it won't be seen again until Jan. 23, the Washington Post reports. But the town'...

Moscow Forced to Use Fake Snow in Holiday Display

Residents used to harsh winters can expect more like this one

(Newser) - With Russia having its warmest winter on record, an executive decision was made: The government is trucking in artificial snow to Moscow in time for the city's New Year's celebration. The shipments are being added to a holiday display in the city center, the Guardian reports. An Instagram...

For Some Americans, Winter Is Already Here

A Rocky Mountains snowstorm drops record amounts of snow

(Newser) - Areas of the northern Rocky Mountains looked more like mid-winter rather than early fall on Sunday as a snowstorm dumped record amounts of wind-driven snow that caused hazardous travel conditions and scattered power outages, the AP reports. Winter storm warnings were posted for parts of western Montana, northern Idaho and...

The Polar Vortex Just Split Into 3. Next, a 'Wild, Wintry Ride'?
The Polar Vortex
Just Split Into 3
Jan 16, 2019 6:21 AM CST

The Polar Vortex Just Split Into 3

'Severe and punishing' weather could be headed toward eastern US by end of January

(Newser) - Folks in the eastern part of the country may have "severe and punishing" weather to look forward to in less than two weeks, with cold to chill the bones and "heightened storminess." That's per weather model forecasts cited by the Washington Post , which warns of the...

Moscow Saw the Sun a Grand Total of 6 Minutes Last Month

Meanwhile, other parts of Russia are in a deep freeze so cold people's eyelashes are freezing

(Newser) - If Russian winters weren't miserable and dreary, we wouldn't have Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. In fact, the month of December 2000 saw just three hours of sunlight in Moscow, the New York Times reports. That benchmark was just shattered, however, with Moscow experiencing its "darkest December" ever, the...

Bitter Cold Is Breaking Records —and Windows
Bitter Cold Is
Breaking Records
—and Windows
THE RUNDOWN
Dec 29, 2017 11:04 AM CST

Bitter Cold Is Breaking Records —and Windows

Sharks are freezing, too

(Newser) - Just how cold is it across much of North America? Sharks are freezing to death and windows are cracking. Weather.com notes daily record cold high temperatures were tied or set in 29 spots from the Midwest to the South and East on Thursday, including in Baltimore, Boston, and New...

Even 'Icebox of the Nation' Has Never Been This Cold

It was 37-below in International Falls, Minnesota

(Newser) - Freezing temperatures and below-zero wind chills socked much of the northern United States on Wednesday, even setting a record in a Minnesota city so cold it's called the Icebox of the Nation. Forecasters warned of hypothermia and frostbite from arctic air settling in over the central US and spreading...

Scientists: We Know Why Sheep Get Sexed Up in Winter

Scientist figure out how melatonin levels affect breeding

(Newser) - "Why do sheep get frisky in winter?" isn't the beginning of a bad joke, but rather the question that jump-started a joint study by researchers at the University of Nottingham and the University of Bristol. The Guardian reports that scientists may now have an answer, one that could...

Chicago's Winter Hasn't Been Like This in 146 Years

City records no snow in January and February

(Newser) - The arrival of March brings a weird milestone to Chicago this year: The city recorded no snow on the ground in January and February for the first time in at least 146 years, reports the Weather Channel . In fact, the last snowfall of more than an inch occurred on Dec....

Abandoned Horse Emerges From Wintry Wilderness

Valentine is OK, but there's now a Wyoming state investigation

(Newser) - Men working for an excursion outfitter in Wyoming were forced to leave behind a 6-year-old horse last fall after a 16-mile trek when she suddenly seemed deathly ill and couldn't move. They left Valentine to get the other animals to safety, and when they went back for her the...

Check Out What the Sun in Alaska Does on Winter Solstice

Freaky!

(Newser) - The winter solstice is upon us, as of 5:44am EST, and as Wednesday is officially the shortest day of the year for everyone north of the equator, there's not much time to ruminate on an astronomical phenomenon we haven't seen since … well, last December. Here, the...

Here Comes the Polar Vortex
Here Comes the Polar Vortex
Dec 8, 2016 9:34 AM CST

Here Comes the Polar Vortex

Hopefully it won't be as bitterly cold as 2014's

(Newser) - A somewhat ominous tweet from The Weather Channel on Wednesday evening offered fair warning about a returning winter phenomenon. Showing frigid temperatures dipping into the teens, single digits, and even minuses in some parts of the country, the tweet read: "No, these are not forecast low temperatures. These are...

The Groundhog Has Spoken
 The Groundhog 
 Has Spoken 
Feb 2, 2016 6:02 AM CST

The Groundhog Has Spoken

Punxsutawney Phil sees no shadow, predicts early spring

(Newser) - It's Groundhog Day, and Punxsutawney Phil already has issued his winter forecast: an early spring. At the annual tradition in Pennsylvania's Gobbler's Knob, the groundhog emerged from his cage (which looks like a tree trunk) and saw no shadow, according to the emcee of the Groundhog Club....

Soak Up Sunlight: It's the Year's Shortest Day

The winter solstice is here

(Newser) - Mondays always feel longer, but that's not the only reason today may be dragging. Yes, it's the winter solstice, meaning Northern Hemisphere residents will be tilted as far from the sun as they will be all year—so it's also the shortest day and the longest night,...

Why You Should Do Like the Norwegians This Winter

They beat the blues by actually enjoying the season: study

(Newser) - Starting to feel the winter blahs creep in? A new study offers a tip that could get you back to your usual cheery self: Do like the Norwegians. Stanford PhD student Kari Leibowitz spent almost a year in Tromsø, Norway—200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, where the sun...

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