Tough Winter Weather for Europe and North America

1. An arctic outbreak chilled Finland, Scandinavia and the Russian heartland. Helsinki, Finland, was as cold as -22 C--17 degrees below normal for the date--on Dec. 18. A low of -16C at Stockholm was about as significant. Gardermoen, near Oslo, Norway, came in at -20C on the coldest day. Windswept snow and cold to -5C chilled Copenhagen conference goers during last weekend. In Russia, Moscow had its harshest cold--down to at least 26 degrees C below zero on the 15th and 16th of the month--since 2006.

White Christmas turns into a headache for US residents

The previous record for Christmas Eve in Duluth, which has gotten more than 22 inches in two days, was 3 inches in 1893, said Kevin Kraujalis, a National Weather Service meteorologist. By the time the storm is over, it could be one of the 10 worst in Duluth's recorded history.

With heavy winds producing snow drifts as deep as 5 feet, "it's awful, it's just awful," Kraujalis said. "It's a big workout just walking outside to check my weather equipment."

The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : Copenhagen, tsunami and hunger

The tsunami of 2004 was a wake-up call alerting us to the consequences of a sudden rise in the sea level. The “Copenhagen Inaction” will lead to more severe coastal storms, tsunamis and sea level rises. A Climate Literacy Movement as well as anticipatory action to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of all those living in coastal areas and islands will have to be initiated.