Rare snowstorm hits Earth’s driest desert in Atacama, Chile
Snow blanketed Chile’s Atacama Desert on June 26, 2025, disrupting transport and closing schools across Tarapacá, Antofagasta, and Atacama regions.
Canadian freighter gets stuck in ice as more than 86% of Lake Erie freezes
A Canadian freighter carrying 17 people got stuck in thick ice on Lake Erie near Buffalo on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.
Lake-effect snow causes whiteout conditions near Buffalo, New York
Heavy lake-snow effect snow has created near-whiteout conditions across Buffalo, New York, on January 13 and 14, 2025. Dangerous travel conditions, strong winds, and snow-packed roads have severely impacted traffic along Interstate 90 with plows struggling to keep up with the intense snowfall rates.
Parts of Japan see nearly 2 m (6.6 feet) of snow
Heavy sea-effect snow has been affecting parts of Japan since Thursday, January 9, 2025, with more than 1 m (3 feet) of snow already registered in some regions and snowfall expected to persist through Saturday. Certain areas have already received twice the usual snowfall.
Gateway to the Sahara covered in snow for the second time in two years, Algeria
Snow cover was recorded over the Ain Sefra region in the Sahara Desert on New Year’s Day 2025 for the second time in two years.
New York records its first white Christmas in 15 years
New York experienced its first white Christmas in 15 years, with the National Weather Service (NWS) reporting a snow depth of 25.4 mm (1 inch) in Central Park at 07:00 local time (LT) on Christmas Day, 2024.
Snow blankets Taklimakan Desert in northwest China for fourth consecutive year
The Taklimakan Desert in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was blanketed by snow on December 12, 2024, marking the fourth consecutive year this rare phenomenon has occurred in a desert known for its arid conditions and minimal annual precipitation.
Winter Weather Advisories issued, Alaska braces for freezing rain and blowing snow
A low-pressure system is set to bring heavy snowfall, freezing rain, and challenging travel conditions across Alaska starting Tuesday, December 3, 2024, prompting the issuance of multiple Winter Weather Advisories.
Storm dumps over 1.22 m (4 feet) of snow over New York, U.S.
The Thanksgiving holiday brought record-breaking lake-effect snowstorm to parts of the United States, with areas in New York State, such as Copenhagen, buried under as much as 1.22 m (4 feet) of snow.
Record snowfall blankets parts of U.S. during Thanksgiving snowstorm
A powerful lake-effect snowstorm fueled by record-warm water temperatures in the Great Lakes unleashed its full force over 2024 Thanksgiving weekend in the United States, burying parts of New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan under more than 90 cm (3 feet) of snow. The city of Erie, Pennsylvania, experienced its snowiest day on record on Friday, November 29, receiving 57.4 cm (22.6 inches) of snow in 24 hours. The Arctic air colliding with the warm lake waters triggered intense snowfall rates of up to 100 mm (4 inches) per hour, creating hazardous conditions that are expected to persist until midweek.