Europe Floods, Winter Storms Leave Damage Behind; Another System Arriving Soon

While the remnants of Winter Storm Leon brought flooding to the United Kingdom and other areas in northern Europe over the weekend, a winter storm from a separate system slammed the southern portion of the continent with heavy snowfall and power outages.

Now, with a third storm system on the way, Europe won't see improving conditions any time soon.

"In southeast Europe, low pressure in the upper atmosphere over the Mediterranean has been a persistent fixture due to a blocking area of high pressure in eastern Europe," said weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce. "This type of pattern can lead to excessive rainfall and heavy mountain snow. Tuesday into Wednesday, another significant storm system will blast into western Europe with rain and gusty winds impacting locations from Ireland and U.K to France and Spain."

In the United Kingdom, residents aren't clear of nasty weather yet. Sky News says high tides and large waves along the southern coast of England could create more problems for an already-soaked area. During this storm, hundreds of flood alerts have been issued across England and Wales by the Environment Agency.

Ten people had to be rescued in Wales when their bus was hit by a large wave crashing ashore, Sky News added. None of the passengers sustained injuries.

read the full story at: http://www.weather.com/news/europe-flooding-snowstorm-latest-news-20140203

Punxsutawney Phil: Six more weeks of winter

Famed groundhog weather prognosticator Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow early Sunday morning at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, foretelling six more weeks of winter. Fortunately, according to analysis by the National Climatic Data Center, Phil is wrong most of the time. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the ground hog shows "no predictive skill" for the last few years. In addition, this is the 101st time he has seen his shadow since 1887. 

World's cities face big extreme weather risk

Experts have said, extreme weather has always posed one of the biggest risks to the global economy, with some of world's largest cities in danger of being caught off-guard. In a recent Global Risks report for 2014, the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranked extreme weather events like floods, storms and fires at six in its top 10. This comes after  "exceptionally high losses" from weather-related catastrophes in 2013, according to European reinsurer Munich Re. One of the strongest cyclones in history, Supertyphoon Haiyan, in the Philippines, topped global losses at $125 billion for the year. Although volatile weather conditions can hit anywhere in the world, it is the risk posed to the world's cities that has analysts, experts, and everyone most worried.

Clairvoyance & Almanacs

Back in August of 2013, the 'esteemed' Farmers’ Almanac predicted the winter we’re currently enduring – along with its affects on the Super Bowl. According to the author (pseudonym: Caleb Weatherbee), New England, New York and most of Pennsylvania will experience a bitterly cold and snow-filled season. The mid-Atlantic states will be cold, wet and blanketed in white. The Southeast will be chilly and wet all winter. Texas and other Southern states will experience frost and above-average dampness. Illinois and the surrounding states will have "biting cold" and snow. The Midwest will see "piercing cold" with normal snowfall. The Pacific Northwest will see a dry and chilly year. The one good region in the predictions is California, Nevada and Arizona, which will see a season of cool with near-normal precipitation. Credibility for the Farmers’ Almanac vacillates as often as the moon phases, but it seems to be dead on for this year.

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/climate-weather/stories/uh-oh-farmers-almanac-predicts-a-nasty-2013-2014-winter

The [N]ext Winter Storm

With winter storms being a major blight this year, predictions and landfall estimates have been extended as far out as the Pacific. Winter Storm Nika, dubbed by the Weather Channel on Sunday, is currently ripening as a naught but a trough in the Jetstream right now, but will encounter an eddy in the upcoming low pressure system and will be provided with enough moisture to batter the Midwest with yet another snowstorm. The interception boundary will stretch as far as the New England area and will likely last for about two to three days given the favorable conditions. As of right now (February 1, 2014), it is impossible to predict the severity on the storm and the associated accumulation – just its arrival and duration.

http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/winter-storm-nika-forecast-20140131

Climate Change

"Climate change is killing penguin chicks from the world's largest colony of Magellanic penguins, not just indirectly -- by depriving them of food, as has been repeatedly documented for these and other seabirds -- but directly as a result of drenching rainstorms and, at other times, heat, according to new findings from the University of Washington."

The temperatures directly affect baby penguins survival rate. If the temperatures are too low, the baby penguins risk getting wet and dying from hypothermia because they do not have their waterproof feathers just yet. Also due to the temperature changes, penguins are breeding later in the season and by the the time chicks are hatched, it is not the perfect conditions for their maximum chance of survival. 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140129184826.htm

Winter Storm Nika

Cities that are going to be the most affected by Nika are Kansas City, Chicago, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Oklahoma City. This storm will bring increasing winds that will result in poor visibility from blowing snow. 

"As the moisture runs into cold air near the surface of the earth, snow, freezing rain or sleet will be possible in the region initially. This includes locations north and west of Washington and Baltimore. As warmer air moves in Tuesday night into Wednesday, this wintry mix should change to plain rain."

http://www.weather.com/news/weather-winter/winter-storm-nika-forecast-20140131