Weather tracker: Record snowfall in eastern Russia leaves people stranded

"A record-breaking snowfall event unfolded in far eastern Russia last week when the town of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, located on the Kamchatka peninsula's east coast, received more than 1.8 metres (6 feet) of lying snow in places. Strong winds accompanying the snowfall caused extreme drifting of more than 3 metres against buildings and cars. Two key ingredients combined to cause such an extreme snowfall event. Strong Pacific low pressures dragged moist air from the tropics northwards, which clashed with cold Arctic air already over the region. Conveyor belts of tropical air are called atmospheric rivers and often bring heavy rainfall to places such as California."

"Heavy snow started falling in the early hours of Monday 12 January, and with snowfall rates of 2-5cm an hour at times, it continued until Tuesday evening, bringing 60-90cm of snow. As one system passed through, another approached, and the snow began again on Wednesday afternoon, not easing until Friday morning and bringing an additional 60-90cm widely across the region. Cars quickly became buried in snowdrifts, with residents digging tunnels through the snow to find their vehicles. People were seen sledding from roofs as snow piled up against buildings. Two people were killed when a buildup of snow fell from a rooftop."

"In the Mediterranean, a slow-moving area of heavy rain associated with Storm Harry caused a historic rainfall event in north-east Tunisia on Tuesday, with several areas recording the highest rainfall totals since 1950. 242mm fell in the coastal city of Sayada roughly five times the average for January, and about 70% of the yearly average while 206mm was recorded near the capital, Tunis. The downpours caused flash flooding, carrying debris as large as cars through streets. Four deaths were reported "

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on the Kamchatka peninsula received over 1.8 metres of lying snow with wind-driven drifts exceeding 3 metres, burying cars and buildings. Strong Pacific lows funneled moist tropical air northward where it met cold Arctic air, forming an atmospheric-river-driven snowfall event. Heavy rates of 2–5 cm per hour produced 60–90 cm from Monday to Tuesday, and a second system added another 60–90 cm from Wednesday to Friday. Residents dug tunnels to reach vehicles, people sledded from roofs, two people died from rooftop snow collapse, and clearance operations continued. In north-east Tunisia, Storm Harry produced record rainfall (242 mm in Sayada, 206 mm near Tunis), causing flash floods that carried large debris and caused four deaths.

Read at www.theguardian.com