Summer Snowstorms

On the Jan 12, 2000 Sightings radio show, ZetaTalk predicted in the Predictions for 2000 that cold summers, even snow in the summer, would be experienced as part of the the increasing weather irregularities. Starting in April, 2000 such reports began. By June, 2005 a first ever snowfall in Somalia, a tropical country, occurred, 'The first snowfall on this part of the world … The storm left a blanket of snow on the ground, something residents had never seen in their lives before'. By the Fall of 2006, snow was reported in Argentina and Australia had snow for Christmas.

Snow in Boston!
April 26, 2000, Offered by Richard

I live less than ten miles north of Boston. The tulips are up; the forsythia is dropping its yellow flowers for green leaves; the flox is out; the azaleas are flowering; the daffodils are in bloom; and it's snowing! I got up at six this morning and it's still going at quarter to nine as I write - coming down at a pretty good clip, too. It's sticking to the grass and bushes and somewhat to the sidewalks and roads. The forecast for today was rain and temperatures in the upper forties or low fifties. No warning of this from the weather service. I'm glad I didn't put in that grass seed yesterday as I had planned. The next door neighbor was out planting his. Oh well, I'll just have to chalk this up to another countdown adjustment!

Early Antarctic Chill Invades Australia
Discovery Earth Alert, May 31, 2000

At least two people in eastern Australia were killed during the weekend in accidents triggered by one of the worst cold spells in living memory. Both victims were crushed by falling trees laden with snow. Although it is officially still autumn, the cold front spread across Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia. Snow fell less than 60 miles from the city of Melbourne for the first time in 25 years. Temperatures in Brisbane fell 50 degrees Fahrenheit below the seasonal average for May. Flooding and fallen trees continued to wreak havoc in southeastern Australia on Tuesday, and black ice and snow also remained a problem. The bitter cold caused demands for gas and electricity to reach record levels for the third consecutive day. Ski resort operators were thrilled about the possibility of an extended snow season. Victoria's Falls Creek got 12-18 inches of snowfall. Falls Creek spokeswoman Debbie Howie said, "This is the biggest snowfall at this time of the year since 1968." She reported that the resort would open two weeks earlier than usual.

Snowstorms in France
Associated Press, June 11, 2000

Snowstorms in southeastern France left some areas covered in up to 40 centimeters (16 inches) of snow. Six people had to be rescued by helicopter Sunday morning from the Pyrenees mountains, according to the French television station, LCI. In northeastern France, dozens of villages were affected by heavy hail and snowstorms. Traffic was slowed in the area and certain roads remained covered with mud from storms the day before.

Swiss Alpine Passes get Midsummer Snow
Associated Press, July 11, 2000

Even as Southeastern Europe suffered from a heat wave and wildfires, an unusual cold snap has brought snow to Switzerland's Alpine passes, officials said Tuesday. The San Bernardino pass in southern Switzerland was closed Tuesday morning to allow snowplows to clear about 20 kilometers (12 miles) of road, the motorists association Touring Club Suisse said. On other passes cars had to use chains. Freezing temperatures in the mountains meant snow would continue to fall above 1,800 meters (5,900 feet), forecasters said. At lower elevations across Switzerland temperatures averaged an unseasonably cool 13 degrees centigrade (55 Fahrenheit) Tuesday, said Saskia Willemse of MeteoSuisse.In the Balkans some 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) to the southeast, meanwhile, a heat wave was expected to peak around 43 degrees (109 Fahrenheit) by Wednesday. Firefighters in Greece have had to battle more than 100 wildfires sparked by the prolonged heat wave.

Southern Brazil Sees Snowfall
Discovery Earth Alert, July 14, 2000

The first significant snowfall in 16 years blanketed streets and rooftops in parts of southern Brazil this week, delighting children who built their first-ever snowmen. The snow, which began late Tuesday, fell in the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, forcing officials to close all schools. Many roads were left impassable. Temperatures fell by more than 60 degrees Fahrenheit in the semitropical cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo this week. Residents who were enjoying 95 degrees Fahrenheit weather several days ago suddenly found themselves hit by the cold front.

Snow Traps Thousands in Saudi Arabia
AnaNova, July 25, 2001

Thousands of people ended up trapped in a national park in Saudi Arabia after it started snowing. Rescue workers were called after 75 people were injured in the panic. Several hundred were rescued using helicopters and mountain jeeps. Several inches of snow fell in the mountainous area in the south west of the country, while other regions baked in 100 degree Fahrenheit temperatures. Entrepreneurs have been using snow-making machines to try and build ski resorts in the mountains, near Saudi Arabia's border with Yemen, reports ABC.