Seguimento América do Norte - 2007

[Gerofil]

Fogo destrói um milhar de casas na Califórnia: Presidente Bush já activou estado de emergência no estado

Cerca de mil habitações foram consumidas pelas chamas no condado de San Diego, no estado norte-americano da Califórnia, noticia a edição electrónica do jornal LA Times. Nos arredores desta cidade, foram evacuadas mais de 260 mil pessoas e estima-se que este número aumente. Bush já declarou o estado de emergência. «Esta é uma noite trágica para a Califórnia», declarou há algumas horas o governador deste estado, Arnold Schwarzenegger, dando conta da situação, particularmente preocupante, na região de San Diego.
Um dos responsáveis da protecção civil da cidade, citado pelo LA Times, também não traçou um cenário animador, sublinhando que «os ventos continuam imprevisíveis» - chegaram a ser registadas velocidades de 130 quilómetros por hora -, o que significa mais «complicações» para os bombeiros, que tentam refrear o poder destruidor das chamas. Pelo menos uma pessoa morreu e dezenas ficaram feridas. O número de hectares ardidos cifra-se em largos milhares, em constante actualização, tal como acontece com as habitações queimadas, que de acordo com os últimos dados ascendia a cerca de um milhar.
Lisa Blake, capitã do corpo de bombeiros de San Diego, já havia pressagiado a tragédia que as autoridades não estavam em condições de evitar. «Muita gente perderá a sua casa esta noite».
Estado de alerta - Face ao desenvolvimento catastrófico do efeito dos incêndios, o presidente norte-americano, George W. Bush, já declarou o estado de emergência no sul do estado da Califórnia, de forma a activar os mecanismo de auxílio federais à região com maior rapidez. Esta medida surgiu em resposta a um pedido nesse sentido feito ontem por Arnold Schwarzenegger.

PortugalDiário

 

[Vince]

Nos EUA as populares estâncias de ski de Mount Snow (Nova Inglaterra) abriram ontem, para já com neve artificial, mas uma abertura tão cedo já não sucedia há 10 anos.

Mount Snow opens on earliest date since 1998
WEST DOVER, Vt. --With temperatures cool enough for snowmaking, Mount "Call it a renaissance," said Mount Snow General Manager Kelly Pawlak. "Guests who have been watching us make snow all week are calling and e-mailing with their praise, and we are so excited to tell them that it's finally show time."
http://www.boston.com/news/local/ve...mount_snow_opens_on_earliest_date_since_1998/

No Colorado o cenário é idêntico.

October snow in Colorado makes for early ski season
A series of October storms in the Colorado Rockies combined to dump up to 3 feet of snow at various ski resorts. As a result, it enabled Colorado's Arapahoe Basin tohttp://www.meteopt.com/meteorologia-internacional/seguimento-america-do-norte-2007-a-646-9.html#post46309
Seguimento América do Norte - 2007 - Página 9 - MeteoPT - Forum de Meteorologia begin operating its Exhibition chairlift Oct. 10, giving access to 800 vertical feet of skiing and snowboarding plus its High Divide terrain park.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcon...-walt_1111tra.ART.State.Edition1.42b043a.html

Provavelmente devido à La Ninã:

Meteorologists weigh in on winter outlook, and they're talking snow
mentioned in my last column the winter weather forecasting conference at OMSI on Friday, and that I would pass along any new predictions or updates. George Taylor, Oregon state climatologist, has hedged his overall winter outlook from slightly cooler and wetter to "somewhat" wetter and cooler. This is based on the current moderate La Niña pattern in the Pacific. This pattern usually brings to the Pacific Northwest cooler winter temperatures and much wetter conditions.

Pete Parsons, meteorologist with the Oregon Department of Agriculture, gave his presentation as well. You may see Pete occasionally on KOIN-TV News doing the weekend weather. He uses a variety of models to come up with his outlook and he just lumps them into the PWODT (Pete's way of doing things). Basically, he compares this year's weather to past years' and comes up with the three most similar years for comparison. Based on that, he decided that 1964, 1979, and 1995 were the closest match. This resulted in the following winter forecast: November, warmer and wetter than average; December, near normal temperatures but wetter than average and perhaps 1 to 3 inches of snow; January, slightly warmer but continued wetter than average with 3 to 6 inches or more of snow; February, slightly colder and wetter than average with not much of a chance of snow, or an inch or less.

Parsons adds that we will have an above-average mountain snowpack, a good chance of major flooding, several coastal windstorms, and a good chance of one arctic outbreak and snow episode. He says the first half of the season will be mild and the second half colder than normal. Sounds like time to wax those skis and snowboards, doesn't it?

Kyle Dittmer, meteorologist with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, presented his outlook. He also uses a variety of sources for his forecast, including sunspot activity and sea surface temperatures. His outlook for November through March calls for temperatures and precipitation to be near normal, except in November, when he expects above-normal rainfall. OK, for you snow freaks out there, he expects little snowfall until January, when we could see a significant event with 3 to 12 inches of snow.

As with most forecasters, they conclude that we will have a wetter and cooler winter season based mostly on the current La Niña situation. If past history repeats itself, we could see several severe winter events and, of course, a better-than-average chance of snow. If we are to have a wetter-than-average November, the flood gates better open quickly. Rainfall so far this month has been rather disappointing for water managers. But we all know how quickly things can change.

I think we will also have a rather mild first half of winter, with the second half becoming much cooler, and a major snow event in January is certainly not out of the question. Talk of a winter like 1949-50 may be to the extreme, because that was very unusual. January 1950 had snow on the ground the entire month, with over 4 feet of snowfall. I can only imagine what would happen nowadays with that much snow, when only an inch or so nearly brings the city to a standstill!

Pat Timm is a local weather specialist. His column appears Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach him at weathersystems.com.
http://www.columbian.com/lifeHome/l...on-winter-outlook-and-theyre-talking-snow.cfm

 

[Luis França]

Midwest Storm Closes Airport, Expected to Bring 16 Inches of Snow link

DES MOINES, Iowa — Snow and ice plastered a wide area of the Midwest on Saturday, disrupting campaigning by presidential hopefuls, making highways hazardous and closing Des Moines' airport.

The National Weather Service posted winter storm and ice warnings across parts of Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, the eastern Dakotas and northern Michigan, although some warnings were lifted by midday. Six to 16 inches of snow was forecast in parts of Minnesota.

 

[Vince]

Winter storm pounds Northeast

# At least 11 traffic deaths blamed on winter storm
# Flights into NYC airports delayed up to two hours by storm
# Snow, high winds forecast for parts of upstate New York
# Separate storm hits Northwest coast with winds gusting higher than 100 mph

A storm system slid across the Northeast with snow, sleet and freezing rain Sunday, glazing roads and tying up air travel after blacking out thousands of customers in the Midwest.

At least 11 traffic deaths have been blamed on weather-related traffic accidents.

Winter storm warnings were in effect into Monday in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine and into Tuesday in parts of New York state. On the other side of the weather system, warnings were issued for parts of Michigan, where freezing rain and sleet was predicted to turn to all snow late Sunday.

The National Weather Service said a foot of snow was possible in the mountains of northern New England, with the potential for 20 inches in northern Maine. In higher elevations of upstate New York, 13 inches of snow was possible. Lake-effect snow and high winds were forecast for parts of Michigan and western New York.

...

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/weather/12/02/winter.weather.ap/index.html

(c) CNN

 

[Luis França]

Storm hits Northeast

ALBANY, N.Y. - Drivers in much of the Northeast navigated a treacherous mix of rain, sleet and snow Monday as a storm blamed for at least 16 deaths slid through the region after pounding the Upper Midwest.

At the same time, a new storm system was wreaking havoc on the West Coast and expected to give the Midwest a second blast of snow.

"It's snowing so hard you can hardly keep your eyes open," said Bill Swain, spokesman for Maine's Sugarloaf USA ski area in Carrabassett Valley.

The National Weather Service said a foot of snow was possible in northern New England, with the potential for 20 inches in northern Maine. Winter storm warnings were in effect in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and northern and western New York.
Mudslides halted north-south Amtrak passenger train service between Eugene, Ore., and Vancouver, British Columbia. Fallen trees and flooding blocked all highways into Tillamook, Ore., and at one point early Monday almost every road into Aberdeen, Wash., was closed, authorities said. Utilities said some 70,000 homes and businesses were blocked out in Northern California, Oregon and Washington.
"In 30 years of law enforcement, it's as bad as I've ever seen," said Grays Harbor County Sheriff Michael J. Whelan, whose own truck was smashed in his driveway by a falling tree.
A second blast expected on the coast later Monday could be the strongest storm coming ashore since 1999, weather service meteorologists said, issuing issued the region's first warning for hurricane-force wind.

link

 

[Minho]

A actualização da cobertura de neve reflecte bem essa tempestade....

Antes E Depois...

 

[Luis França]

Historical flooding as rain continues to fall in Washington

SEATTLE - The largest of three consecutive storms was moving through Western Washington Monday, bringing heavy rain, damaging wind, and major flooding -- both in urban areas and along mountain-fed rivers.

The Washington and Oregon coast were severely battered by the storm Monday morning. Wind speeds have been clocked at 85 mph in Astoria and 81 mph in Hoquiam. (Hoquiam has since lost power, so we don't know if it's been worse.) Meanwhile, an unofficial report out of Bay Center, Wash. (near Long Beach) had a measured gust of 119 mph.


Blackouts, school closures, and rising rivers blast B.C.

The biggest storm of the season transformed the South Coast of B.C. from a winter wonderland into a slushy mess overnight Sunday.
More than 40,000 BC Hydro customers lost power as high winds blasted Vancouver Island and the South Coast from Victoria to Hope, while heavy rain washed away the five to 50 centimetres of snow that fell Saturday and Sunday.

With 40 to 140 millimetres of rain expected to come down by Monday night, the combination of heavy rain and melting snow promoted government officials to issue a flood watch for Greater Vancouver, South and Central Vancouver Island, Howe Sound and the Lower Fraser valley.


Snow, Snow, Go Away

For many Canadians, a few centimetres of snow is no big deal, but we're supposed to be the "wet coast". Snow started falling yesterday and continued all day today. Fortunately for many, it's Sunday here and many people did not have to report for work. This afternoon, many of the cable TV stations have dropped off the screen. There have been little blips in the electric delivery.


Vancouver May Need to Boil Water Again

Heavy rain has been pelting the North Shore mountains where Metro Vancouver's water supply originates, which could mean more debris getting into the water.
Last year, one million people in the Metro Vancouver area were without safe tap water for 12 days after a massive storm unleashed landslides in the region's watersheds.
Officials denied allegations that years of clearcut logging on the steep slopes of the watersheds was connected to the landslides.

Snowstorm settles over eastern Ontario, western Quebec

Environment Canada predicted up to 25 centimetres of snow in total for Ottawa and Gatineau Monday, with a little less for most of the rest of eastern Ontario. Another five centimetres are expected Monday night.

The snow was expected to be heavy at times and blown about by winds of 30 km/h, with gusts up to 50 km/h.

 

[Luis França]

O estado de Oregon está debaixo de água.

http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/weather/2007/12/03/vo.ct.ice.storm.wfsb

Troops use rafts to evacuate flooded town

PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) -- National Guard troops evacuated residents in a flooded town and tens of thousands of people remained without power Tuesday after back-to-back storms pounded the Pacific Northwest, killing five people.
The storm that hit Monday smacked the region with hurricane-force winds and several inches of rain, and was blamed for five deaths in Oregon and Washington state. It came only a day after another severe system moved through Sunday.
By Tuesday, the second system had moved on to the Upper Plains and Midwest, where it was predicted to bring new snow. In North Dakota, the National Weather Service said parts of the state could get up to 9 inches of snow.

Flooding Closes I-5 In Lewis County

Snow Advisory Issued For Tuesday Night, Wednesday

CINCINNATI -- It still looks like you'll need a show shovel -- or at least a broom -- by the time you get up Wednesday morning.
An Alberta Clipper cold-air system is moving southwest across the Ohio Valley on Tuesday.
Forecasters said a low pressure system riding along the cold front will bring precipitation to Tri-State, while the cold-air system will drop temperatures to levels low enough to allow snow development.

 

[Mário Barros]

EUA: Estado de emergência no Noroeste devido a inundações

Os Estados de Washington e do Oregon (Noroeste) estão sob estado de emergência depois da passagem de uma violenta tempestade que matou hoje cinco pessoas e provocou graves inundações, segundo as autoridades locais.

A tempestade proveniente do Pacífico varreu estes dois Estados segunda-feira com rajadas de vento que ultrapassaram os 150km/hora, deixando para trás linhas de electricidade cortadas e árvores derrubadas. Os governadores decretaram o estado de emergência para obter reforços das equipas de socorro, nomeadamente da Guarda nacional.

Tropas juntamente com a Guarda nacional usaram balsas insufláveis para retirar residentes bloqueados pelas inundações em Vernonia, uma localidade de madeireiros de 2.200 habitantes no Rio Nehalem, a cerca de 56 quilómetros de Portland.

A neve bloqueou muitas estradas de montanha enquanto a quase totalidade dos cursos de água transbordaram dos leitos, forçando centenas de habitantes de habitantes a evacuar as casas.

Na região de Chebalis, no Sudoeste do Estado de Washington, mais de 130 pessoas tiveram de ser heli-transportadas segunda-feira e hoje pela guarda-costeira, indicou uma porta-voz, Tara Moller.

O rio Chehalis inundou a auto-estrada que liga Portland (Oregon) a Seattle e que ficou debaixo de três metros de água, segundo a porta-voz do Departamento dos Transportes do Estado de Washington, Alissa Bateman.

Entre os mortos figuram uma mulher de 90 anos do Oregon que morreu de ataque cardíaco quando estava a ser retirada, e uma homem em Washington que devido a um corte de energia eléctrica que ficou sem o equipamento de oxigénio de que precisava.

Os aluimentos de terra isolaram numerosas estradas e forçaram um número indeterminado de residentes a evacuarem condomínios, apartamentos e casas perto e em redor de Seattle.

As coisas por lá andam perigosas o estado de Oregon tambem anda sempre ou debaixo de chuva ou neve.

 

[Luis França]

Canada Blanketed Coast to Coast By Bad Weather

If misery loves company, there's lots of it all across the country. December's entrance may be one for the record books, with all of Canada being blanketed by a series of storms, similar to the one that left the GTA a mess this weekend.
And it turns out we may have it easy. As much as 40 centimetres of snow fell in parts of B.C., a lot of it in areas that are ill equipped for even a few flakes, let alone a weather avalanche. At least 10 centimetres of snow was on the ground in Vancouver by Sunday night and things were so bad in Langley B.C. that the RCMP was asking residents to stay inside.
The Vancouver Island community of Campbell River was buried by an astounding 40 centimetres. "They had the RCMP going around town closing businesses," resident Tanya Graham reveals. "Just to make sure everybody got home safely and only basically to go out if you have a truck or a 4x4."

Seattle
Chehalis River swallows up homes, residents airlifted out

 

[Mário Barros]

Excelentes fotos

O povo está toda a pensar que o culpado é o CO2...

 

[Luis França]

O povo está todo a pensar que o culpado é o CO2..

 

[Luis França]

Brutal tempestade com ventos de furacão assolou o Hawaii.

Blustery storm 'like a monstrous hurricane'

A fierce front barreled over O'ahu, Maui County and the Big Island yesterday, bringing driving rain and wind as strong as 70 mph that knocked out power to tens of thousands, downed utility lines and trees, closed nearly 100 public and private schools statewide and created a traffic nightmare for morning commuters.

"It was like a monstrous hurricane," Mililani resident Marion Poirier said. "It was one of the worst storms here I remember. It was really fierce."

 

[Luis França]

70 feet deadly wave in Santa Cruz, California

link

 

[Mário Barros]

Environment Canada: País deve ter inverno mais rigoroso em uma década

Um inverno como há muito tempo não se via. É o que espera para o começo de 2008 a Environmental Canadá, o órgão oficial de Meteorologia do governo canadense, para a estação que está começando no Hemisfério Norte. Conforme o órgão, o Canadá enfrentará o seu inverno mais frio dos últimos 13 anos com temperaturas inferiores ao normal em praticamente todo o país.



Os meteorologistas alertaram a população sobre um inverno extremamente rigoroso após uma seqüência de invernos mais amenos nos últimos anos. Segundo eles, o grande responsável pelo frio excepcional do começo de 2008 será o fenômeno La Niña no Pacífico. As precipitações de neve devem ficar acima da média nas principais cidades do país. Em 1994, o país suportou temperaturas inferiores aos 40 graus abaixo de zero.

Continuo a achar que o CO2 tirou férias ou então á um buraco algures na atmosfera por onde ele está a escapar.

In:Metsul