Spring Weather Review
A review of weather reports from around the world reveal yet more record-shattering cold and snow conditions
DISCLAIMER: An imbalance in weather reporting has, in my opinion, reinforced the false impression that we are accelerating towards a cow-fart and coal-induced climate catastrophe. So, as with all of my seasonal weather reviews, I intentionally focus on weather events from around the world that register at the other end of the temperature scale.
I have included more than 30 teeth-chattering examples of record-breaking cold weather and snowfall reports from around the world from March to May, 2023.
I’m including for the first time my Global Cold-Snap Maps! to help you appreciate just how widespread these stories are.
Perhaps see if you can pick out your home nation or favorite holiday getaway.. does it match with your experience?
..and please don’t forget you can also follow me on Twitter and on LinkedIn for more bite-sized cold-weather stories from around the World and other Atlas Report updates.
March
Winnipeg, Canada; in the entire month of March the temperature did not rise about 0ºC, a feat that has not happened since as long ago as 1899.
Scotland, UK; early in March Altnaharra Saws dropped to -16ºC which was the UK’s coldest March temperature since 2010, and among the coldest on record.
La Morne Rouge, Martinique; the low of 12.2ºC was Martinique’s lowest March temperature in recorded history and the second-coldest temperature ever recorded on the island (just 0.1ºC shy of the low set in December 2022).
Sint Eustatius; the Caribbean Island’s lowest ever March temperature of just 18.2ºC was recorded at the island’s airport in the middle of the month.
Finland; lingering cold weather saw a bone-crunching -37.5ºC reached in late March; to find another such low reading after the vernal equinox you have to go back more than a century to 1916.
Yushan, Taiwan; the highest mountain in Taiwan set a national record for the countries latest-ever snowfall towards the end of the month.
Winnipeg, Canada; in the entire month of March the temperature did not rise about 0ºC, a feat that has not happened since as long ago as 1899.
California, USA; Mammoth declared its snowiest season ever after it’s total snow fall reached 17.6 meters at its main lodge, and an astonishing 22.1 meters at the summit.
India; the last two weeks of March across India were unseasonably cold with the week ending March 21, at a staggering 3.5ºC colder than the norm, being India’s coldest March week since records began.
Norway; like much of Scandinavia, the month of March was very cold across Norway, closing with a temperature anomaly of a huge 2.9ºC below the norm.
Colorado, USA; March saw Denver close out it’s coldest first quarter and start to a calendar year since 1979, according to data from both Denver International Airport and the city’s Central Park.
April
Swathes of Siberia endured unseasonal frosts, with Igarka, for example, suffering a bone-crunching -40ºC which was the region’s coldest April temperature ever recorded...
Belgrade, Serbia; surpassed 20 cm of snow at the start of the month which was the highest snow depth ever recorded in the city during the month of April in books dating back to 1888. In addition, with a high of just 1ºC Belgrade also recorded it’s coldest ever April day.
Spain; a string of low monthly temperature records were taken out early in April, including the -4.5ºC in Vitoria and the exceptional -6.6ºC in Burgos.
Saskatchewan, Canada; Numerous low temperature records were set across areas of of Saskatchewan including Elbow (-23ºC), Leader (-25.1ºC) and Rosetown (-26.2ºC).
Greenland; the Greenland ice sheet gained 7 and 6 gigatons in consecutive days which are record highs for the time of year in Danish Meteorological Institute weather books dating back to 1981.
Alaska, USA; Nome recorded its lowest April temperature on record, while Kotzebue and McGrath set numerous record daily lows. Bethel, King Salmon and Anchorage set record low high temperature.
Siberia, Russia; Swathes of Siberia endured unseasonal frosts, with Igarka, for example, suffering a bone-crunching -40ºC which was the region’s coldest April temperature ever recorded, comfortably usurping the previous record of −39.1ºC set back in 1937.
Australia; numerous low temperature records were set in mid-April, including the new monthly lows set at Carnarvon Airport, WA (8.9ºC) and Tennant Creek Airport, NT (11.5ºC).
Brazil; Extremely rare April-snow hit the highlands of Santa Catarina do Sul which was one of the earliest snowfalls ever recorded in Brazil.
Siberia, Russia; Towards the end of the month cold temperature records continued to be set including Novokuznetsk’s -22ºC (smashing the areas previous April low of -11.6ºC), nearby Novosibirsk’s -14.2ºC, Omsk’s record -11.9ºC, and Pudino’s -15.2ºC.
Irtyshsk, Kazakhstan; logged an impressively low -12.5ºC, a new monthly low.
China; The late wintry cold spell sent the mercury crashing to unprecedented levels for the time of year in Northern China. On April 22 alone, 241 stations in the region suffered their lowest-daily-highs ever recorded during the latter half of April.
Wyoming and Utah, USA; Numerous snowfall records were set; Alta’s 903 inches of snow for the season, shattering the resort’s all time record; Solitude Mountain Resort in Big Cottonwood Canyon, surpassed 800 inches for the very first time; and Snowbasin Resort in Weber County surpassed 600 inches for the first time ever.
Scotland, UK; At the end of the month the -7.4ºC reached at Loch Glascarnoch was the UK’s official low temperature breaking the nation’s coldest-ever low for the date.
May
Swat District, Pakistan; snowfall in Kalam was observed for the first time in 30-years.
India; at the start of the month cities such as Dehradun and Mukteshwar posted their lowest daily-highs for the month of May ever recorded, while the 16.3ºC at Ridge (Delhi) and the 8.4ºC at Dharamshala were their lowest May readings ever.
Wyoming, USA; Marquette broke multiple, all-time snowfall records in early May including the two-day total of 26.2 inches falling May 1 through May 2.
Australia; locations such as Cooma, Omeo, Bombala, and Canberra were among many places to set coldest-ever May days, with Canberra for example struggling to just 7.8ºC.
Swat District, Pakistan; snowfall in Kalam was observed for the first time in 30-years.
Queensland, Australia; the -5.7ºC logged in Oakey smashed the town’s previous May low of -4.4ºC set in 2019.
New Zealand; impressive snow accumulation saw the North Islands’ Manganui Ski Area open its slopes in mid-May, setting a new club record for its earliest ever opening.
Yakutia, Russia; historic low temperatures hit Yubileinaya where on in mid-May, temperatures plunged to -24.5ºC beating the areas previous May low of -24.1ºC set 70 years ago.
Ukraine; in the city of Izmail a low of 3.6ºC was felt, the areas coldest May reading since 1976, while in the city of Kryvyi Rih, a low of -0.5ºC was reached, breaking the previous low-temperature record that had stood since 1988.
New South Wales, Australia; in Griffith the thermometers dropped to -2.3ºC which made was the city’s lowest May temperature ever recorded.
Wittingen, Germany; a new May record was recorded as the temperature dipped to a freezing -1.6ºC.
Greenland; the May ice sheet Surface Mass Balance readings showed a rare upwards trend culminating in a daily gain of approximately 4 Gigatons towards the end of the month, a new record for the time of year according to the Danish Meteorological Institute.
Be Careful Out There, Folks!
There are certainly no shortage of record-breaking cold weather and snowy anecdotes out there. You just don’t seem to hear about them as much as the warm weather ones!
For example, I recently saw a UK mainstream news channel broadcast BREAKING NEWS to TV sets across the land something along the lines of…
‘‘The temperature has hit 30 degrees for the first time, ahem (check notes)… this year..’’
Closer attention revealed that this was recorded at an airport; in other words, next to a patch of Tarmac that gets heated up by a combination of the midday sun and frequently passing powerful jet engines!
It’s not exactly a ‘natural’, reading, and it’s not exactly ‘breaking news’ for that matter either!
Are we likely see ‘BREAKING NEWS’ this winter when the temperature inevitably drops to zero for the first time since, well, since last winter?
I think not.
But what do you think? What is your experience? Do you feel as though things are getting hotter, getting colder, or staying about the same, all things considered?
-T