Rare Ice Phenomenon in Colorado River, Population Conditioned for Climate Change

Update: December 16, 2013: Looks as if the European Science Council's warning to the continent about the increase in damaging and deadly storms over the region could already be playing out...in a Day After Tomorrow type scenario! Preliminary reports from various weather bureaus are calling for a series of up to 5 major storm events to sweep over northern parts of Europe (affecting Ireland and the UK) between now and Christmas! That is just over a week away! The first system, Winter Storm Emily, is expected to pound Ireland and the UK beginning on Thursday, bringing hurricane force winds and coastal flooding to the region. Satellite imagery is showing the formation of additional cyclonic systems directly behind Emily, so this situation definitely needs to be monitored. More information about Emily may be viewed here: Emily Set to Pound Ireland, UK: 
Series of winter storms before Christmas?

A rare phenomenon known as an ice stream or ice dam has been witnessed and captured on film in Colorado!

The amazing video of the ice stream racing down the San Miguel River in Colorado was caught on camera by Sheriff's Deputy Bill Masters who stood on a bridge overlooking the normally tranquil waters.

While such scenes are not uncommon in more remote regions such as Alaska because of glacial debris, they are highly unusual in more populated areas such as Colorado. They are also more common in the Spring season when warmer temperatures begin to thaw out deposits of thick ice from around rivers and other large bodies of water.

This is yet another sign in a long and growing list of once rare climatic phenomena that are taking place now on a daily basis. The population of the planet has by now become so inured with bizarre and deadly weather events happening every day that the majority of people no longer pay any attention to the news reports, until they are directly affected by them, of course.

Take into consideration the European Science Council's recent warning to the citizens of Europe that deadly and increasingly powerful storms would continue to batter the continent for at least "the next 30 years." The human cost of this will be incalculable, as will the financial burden from these events. The report is another example of the conditioning language being released via the global media to ease the idea of catastrophic climate change onto the general populace by making the events seem "normal" or innocuous, when clearly they are not. The Science Council's full report may be viewed here: European Science Council Issues Dire Warming about Future Climate Change!

As if more evidence was needed, the Middle East was battered by a once "highly rare" snow storm (Alexa), that dumped heavy snow and brought bitingly cold temperatures to Israel, Lebanon and Syria. Cairo, Egypt, saw its first measurable snow in over 110 years! Even the fact that these storms are being given names (which was once only the domain of powerful hurricanes and typhoons) can be viewed as a conditioning agent to make climate change seem more appealing and acceptable to the populace.

I fully anticipate more conditioning language to be associated with a never-ending list of unusual and deadly weather or geological events to continue unabated over the next days, weeks and months. Stay tuned and stay safe.

Philippines in "State of Calamity" After Super Typhoon Bopha Brings Devastation

 Second Update: Although downgraded to a tropical storm, Bopha continues to pack a punch as it brings heavy winds and rains to the northern part of the Philippines, which was relatively unaffected by the typhoon during its first hit on the southern islands only a few days ago. Tropical Storm alerts are in place and officials warn of low-lying flooding and potentially deadly landslides throughout the region. The official death count is 950, with hundreds more still missing or unaccounted for in the wake of the killer storm.

Emergency Bulletin: Weather forecast models predict the remnants of Typhoon Bopha will make a dramatic U-Turn, possibly striking the Philippines for the second time in only four days. Government officials are scrambling to prevent further tragedy should the storm hit again. Some models have the storm taking a turn out to the South China Sea, but either way, the storm will probably bring more heavy rains to a region already flooded and in ruins, with more strong winds and possible landslides and dangerous flooding.

President Benigno Aquino III of the Philippines has declared an official "State of Calamity" across the Southeast Asian nation after Super Typhoon Bopha brought death, misery and destruction to the country.

The death count currently stands at 560 but officials have stated that number will continue to rise precipitously as rescue workers scramble to uncover survivors left in the rubble of buildings blown down by the intense winds or washed away by the record-breaking storm surge.

The president's declaration of a state of national calamity will now allow local governments to access funds for rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts in areas left in complete devastation from the nightmarish storm. One of the worst hit areas was the poor, remote Compostela Valley region on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, where thousands of shanty homes were swept away, many with entire families inside seeking refuge from the killer storm.

Illegal logging and mining in the region is being  blamed for the high number of fatalities in the southern Philippines where typhoon Bopha also created a very wide “horror-river” in New Bataan. Heavy rains from the typhoon swept down hills that have been stripped of trees and topsoil due to deforestation and illegal mining. The flood waters created an "inland tsunami" that washed across hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of land, destroying everything in its path.

Meteorologists stated that the conditions surrounding Typhoon Bopha were highly unusual, with a confluence of weather events creating a "Super Typhoon", not unlike the strange sequence of events that brought about "Super Storm" Sandy that devastated the Eastern Seaboard of the United States in October. Weather experts warn the trend of highly destructive storms will more than likely increase dramatically, as the intensification of global climate change wreaks havoc on weather patterns, leading to more and more "super" storms. 

Bongiorno, Inverno: Rare Snow Falls on Rome as Europe Experiences Deep Freeze

As a large part of the United States enjoys uncommonly mild winter weather, parts of Europe are stuck in the Deep Freeze.

Rare, thick snowflakes fell upon the Eternal City of Rome, Italy, today, prompting the shutdown of major tourist attractions in the city, included the famed Colosseum, for fear that tourists would fall down in the icy conditions. The Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, the former home of Rome's ancient emperors, were also closed for tourists during the extremely rare snow day for Bella Roma, a city which is usually blessed with a more temperate, mild climate.

Elsewhere in Europe, countries are faring far worse, with frigid temperatures and heavy snowfalls battering a large portion of the continent. Hundreds of deaths have been reported throughout the Ukraine and parts of Russia, as the cold hits the homeless community as well as an aging population the hardest. Exacerbating the condition are rolling blackouts, caused by the extreme dip in the temperatures as well as ice and high winds.

Istanbul, Turkey, was paralyzed by heavy snows and high winds, which snarled traffic and suspended the all-important passenger ferry boats on the Bosporus and Marmara Sea. Serbia declared a national state of emergency, as heavy snow pounded the region, knocking out power to over 100,000 homes.

A ferocious winter blizzard was predicted to hit Colorado and the Plain States in the US, with a potentially record-breaking winter storm set to dump unprecedented snows on Denver, with winter weather warnings out for at least five other states. In the south, heavy rains and tornadoes are expected.

There's just something about the weather....

Winter Now Starts in October: Over Three Million without Power in North East Snowstorm

It doesn't bode well for the winter season if a large swathe of the nation is already being crippled by winter weather...before Halloween!

A rare winter storm (Personally, I believe there is no such thing as "rare weather events" anymore, seeing that they are now taking place every day) has left over three million people without electricity and created travel chaos for millions throughout the Northeast US, who have already endured an earthquake & hurricane in the past few months. The storm, normally associated with mid-winter, struck a large area of the US, dropping snow from Virginia all the way to Maine. New York City experienced snow in October for only the fourth time since the Civil War, and the record for snow amount total  for the month was broken. Hundreds of thousands of homes are still without power in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. 

The storm left JetBlue Airline passengers stranded on the tarmac for more than seven hours after their flight had to be diverted to Connecticut's Bradley International Airport from Newark, New Jersey due to the bizarre weather. Annoyed and worried passengers began to call 911, informing dispatchers that they were trapped on board the airplane.

Keep monitoring this blog, as I'm certain I will be reporting on more and more strange weather occurrences that will undoubtedly take place throughout the upcoming winter season...