It’s a weird, wacky and highly upside down winter pattern we continue to experience over Europe. On the northern flank of a 1040+ high extending from France east to Poland, warm, moist Atlantic air is streaming across Northern Ireland and Scotland. Temps of +10-12C are reaching Shetland while on the southern flank of the high with the help of a large low spinning over the central Med, bitter winds are blowing off Russia across southern Europe over the Med into NW Africa.

Wind chills in the Balearics were as low as parts of Arctic Norway this morning.

This morning’s infrared satellite.

500mb height anomaly

850mb temp anomaly

It’s warmer on Shetland’s north shore than the beaches of Algeria and Tunisia as of this writing.

Along the French Riviera, Nice Airport witnessed it’s first freeze since February 2012 and first January freeze in 12 years this morning.

Temps in the French Alps dipped to -28C and -20C in the Pyrenees this morning.

It was cold and below freezing deep into the Algerian Sahara this morning. The town of Salah hit -0.9C. The all-time record here is -3.3C.

Current wind chills.

Amazingly, Fruholmen in Arctic Norway has the same wind chill as Mahon, Menorca just now! Skikda, Algeria and Tabarka, Tunisia (both Med beach communities are +1 and +2C respectively.

As well as the cold, this was the scene between Constantine and Setif, Algeria this morning.

So, big snows are pasting eastern/central Italy, Corsica and Sardinia but snow levels in Mallorca and SE Spain as well as northern Algeria are below 100m in areas.

What a difference 10 days makes in the Pyrenees when you have a nice cold, unsettled pattern.

Breathtaking view from the Pic Du Midi in the Pyrenees this morning. Rather chilly at -20C!