>Here are some snippet form weather goings on across the US and Europe that have made the headlines over recent days…

This Information is courtesy of iceagenow.com

Dallas saw it’s 8th coldest winter on record…
– 3 inches of snow on Dec 24th, earliest snow measured
– Coldest low since 1996 with 13 degrees
– 2nd snowiest February behind 1978 with 12.6 inches of snowfall.
– a new 24-hour snowfall record with 12.6 inches, 10-11 Feb.

Also Houston reported it’s 6th coldest winter on record

Both Tennessee and Florida report their coldest winter in 30 years!

Amazingly Miami Beach reported their coldest Jan-Feb period on record!

Historic cold episode in Florida
West Palm Beach – Coldest 12-day period on recordNaples – Coldest 12-day period on record in Moore Haven – Coldest 12-day period on recordMiami – Coldest 10-day period on recordEstimated $500 million in crop losses
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/mfl/news/ColdEpisodeJan2010.pdf
Thanks to Joe D’Aleo for this link

As many as 50 ships stuck in Baltic Sea Ice

http://www.accuweather.com/video/70232540001/video-of-ships-stuck-in-the-ice.asp

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8550687.stm

From AccuWeather.com
Why Ships Got Stuck in Baltic Sea Ice
Mar 5, 2010; 8:18 AM ET
Source: http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/25767/why_ships_got_stuck_in_baltic.asp

All large passenger ferries and cargo ships have been freed from the immensely thick ice off the Swedish coast, with colder-than-average temperatures and gale-force wind gusts primarily to blame.
AccuWeather.com meteorologists said the thicker-than-normal ice came as a result of strong winds coming from the north that pushed widespread ice farther south than usual on the Baltic Sea.
The same weather system that affected southern France with flooding and hurricane-force winds Sunday and into Monday also affected Sweden.
The high winds from this storm made the ice pack even stronger and harder for icebreakers to free ships. The cold temperatures also made the ice trickier to break.
Winds are still gusty this morning, but certainly not as strong as yesterday. The most recent buoy data as of 7 p.m. in Sweden noted wind speeds of 31 mph.
AccuWeather.com meteorologists expect winds to become calm off the coast by Friday evening, with temperature still very cold through the weekend.
Winds are set to shift to a more southerly flow Sunday, and temperatures will become much milder Monday through midweek, with the thermometer above freezing.

Ships were first reported stuck during the early afternoon hours Thursday. Buoys off the coast of Sweden revealed sustained wind speeds of up to 38 mph around 1 p.m. local time.
Several passenger ship were carrying more than 1,000 people.
Ice is common in the Baltic Sea during winter, but ice of the thickness that has trapped this many ships is unheard of.
Passenger ships are usually large and powerful enough to prevent them from getting caught in any ice buildup.
The Swedish Maritime Administration reported that the ships had ignored warnings about icy conditions.
Story by AccuWeather.com’s Carly Porter and Dave Samuhel.

AMAZING VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM A SHIP GETTING STRUCK BY HUGE WAVES

http://www.accuweather.com/video/70238947001/amazing-video-of-waves-crashing-into-cruise-ship.asp

Yesterday mornings -18 at Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland was good enough for me after a predicted low of -20.

Days are warming but though nights aren’t as cold and spring-signatures are showing, winter is not over, its fading just slowly but surely, perhaps one of few positives from this winter is we all may have toughend up some after the balmy winters of recent times. This toughening up process is only the beginning as winters WILL be worse this 09-10 in the not so distant future…

Thanks for reading.
-Mark