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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Observations

Unseasonably warm autumn not delaying birds' departure
Temperature records continued to be broken this week in Utsjoki, Finland's northernmost municipality. Despite thie, the autumn migration of birds is proceeding at a fairly standard pace, according to Birdlife Finland.
Utsjoki, Lapland, Finland
News

Wondering where the fish have gone
With a bleak salmon return this year in Northwest Alaska, a lifelong fisherman reflects on a season marked by empty nets and big questions.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Caribou arrive in the Northwest Arctic region
The Western Arctic Caribou Herd has been declining for years, and the migration patterns of the animals have been changing. In several locations in Northwest Alaska, caribou have been arriving later and later in the season. Friday last week, people in Kotzebue finally started seeing caribou — hundreds of them ― crossing the Kotzebue Sound north of town, coming from the Noatak riverside. Ice conditions are one of the reasons for the caribou’s late migration, said Thomas Baker, chair of the Northwest Arctic Subsistence Regional Advisory Council.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

The snowiest day in Alaska — and perhaps US — history?
At 4:45 p.m., 65 inches was on the ground. By 7:30, 72 inches of new snow had fallen in one storm. That’s 6 feet. In less than one day! It was darn close to a new Alaska (and United States) record.
Thompson Pass

Later frosts could make new crops possible in Alaska, but climate change brings challenges, too
Shifting seasons and hotter temperatures could allow Alaska farmers to grow more abundant and diverse produce. But climate change can also bring drought, pests and permafrost thaw.  Human-caused climate change is bringing longer and warmer growing seasons, but also pests and unstable weather.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
KTOO

Very Late Foliage
Autumn colors have been quite delayed this year, maybe ten days to two weeks later than "usual"
Fox, Alaska, United States

Flowers bloom again in an unusually warm November
Kale is sprouting even though it's mid-November.  Eucalyptus, rock rose, and Lenten roses don’t seem to be in the mood for winter, as they still wear their summer colors of green and red. It has been warm over almost all of the country, and never in the history of the capital has been a hotter November than this year.
Akureyri, Northeast, Iceland
RÚV

"Should have received four tons of plums"
Norwegian fruit farmers are seeking compensation for poor harvests due to extreme weather conditions, with over 1,000 farmers applying for compensation this year, compared to under 500 last year, as cold weather destroyed crops in the west and north, while drought hit the east and inland areas.
Linge farm, Valldal, Fjord community, Vestland
NRK

Wild Rose October Bloom
We typically see them blooming in June and most of them have been without blooms for months.
Galena, Alaska, United States

An Influx in Taraxacum Officinale or the Common Dandelion in Iqaluit, Nunavut
Over the past five years, there has been a steady increase in the number of dandelions spread throughout the surrounding area of Iqaluit.
Crystal Two, Nunavut, Canada

Tangled Up in Blue: Skipping skating
I was looking forward to ice skating this winter. I had bought a pair of Nordic blades. This morning, I woke up to over a foot of snow. It is an early storm for Seward, which was blanketed in white this morning.
Seward, Alaska, United States
Homer News

Major Disaster Averted in Icy Kara Sea After Two Oil Barges Ran Aground
Fuel shipments normally take place during autumn from departure ports such as Murmansk and Arkhangelsk. However, last fall saw a sudden freeze-up and quickly accumulating sea-ice on the Northern Sea Route, including the Kara Sea. Of the two rescued barges, one contained 7,000 tons of diesel fuel, while the other was loaded with 170 tons of kerosene.
The Moscow Times

Amazing November skiing! Lots of snow, lots of cold!
It is November, we have snow and we are skiing the Southcentral Alaska backcountry early and in the best conditions in years.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Later Snowfalls are Causing Challenges for Winter Sports
The first event in Lillehammer is in early December, and despite being able to easily prep the hills in the past, Lillehammer athletes must now rely on snow shipped from other parts of Norway.
Lillehammer, Oppland, Norway

A timeline of how once-in-a-century flooding unfolded across B.C.
Extreme rain swamped rivers and farmland across southern B.C. and triggered mudslides that blocked every major highway connecting the Lower Mainland to the rest of the country in November 2021. This is a timeline of the first week of the crisis.
Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
A Timeline of How Once In a Century Flooding Unfolded Across B.C.

Alaska Logistics is leaving two barges to freeze in the Kuskokwim River
“It got very cold the day we got there, it got down to like single digits and ice came out of the mountains and rivers and sloughs everywhere,” said Allyn Long, general manager of Alaska Logistics.
Eek, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Two icebreakers are on the way to rescue ice-locked ships on Northern Sea Route
Over the past years, ice conditions in late October and early November have allowed extensive shipping along the vast Russian Arctic coast. This year, however, large parts of the remote Arctic waters were already covered by sea ice by late October.
ArcticToday

Here winter has become two months shorter
Winter will never be the way it was, according to scientists. Towards the end of the century, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute predicts that the winter weather will gradually disappear from Oslo.
Bodø, Nordland, Norway
NRK

7 hunters return home after being stranded on the frozen Yukon River for 7 days. Here's their story.
“The ice was so thick flowing down the river. It was forming so fast. It was freezing so fast. Just amazing. I’d never seen anything like that," one of the hunters, Rex Nick, said.
Emmonak, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Shift in Overall Weather Pattern Over Past Two Decades
"The first snowfall of this year happened so early that the leaves on the trees had not fallen yet. The weight of the snow on top of the trees that had not shed their leaves caused the trees to incur damage."
Eagle River, Alaska, United States

Anchorage's early snow unofficial but pleasing to zoo's polar bears, otters
Snow blanketed parts of Alaska’s largest city Tuesday morning, as Anchorage saw an early, though unofficial, first snowfall of the season. It's technically unofficial because none was reported at the National Weather Service’s official measuring spot on the city’s west side.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Fall Observations from Chistochina
"Been a cool dry fall. The snow line hit twice in late August and once in September at the 4000 foot level. We saw 22 degrees several times in September and twice in August so general frost is in town. But no ice on shore lines so the rivers and lakes are staying warm even as the chill sets in"
Chistochina, Alaska, United States

No Kuskokwim Ice Road Yet
The weather may be cold, but it’s too soon to get out on the river ice. The ice is forming up better than it did two years ago, when the winter was the warmest on record, but it is not freezing as fast or as well as last winter, when conditions were near-perfect.
Bethel, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Bear activity persists despite early snow
Two bears were shot in the Haines Borough this past weekend, both by homeowners defending chickens. Although bear-related calls to the police dipped after last week’s record-setting snowfall, the recent activity suggests this year’s Bearpocalypse is not yet over.
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

Waiting on a North Wind
The winds have been unusual this fall. Usually a north wind is "part and parcel of the turn of the season" but so far the wind has been "sporadic without a sense of direction."
Chistochina, Alaska, United States

Salmonids in North Fork of Chester Creek
The number of salmon returning to Chester Creek has improved since 2008. This year, spawning salmon are lingering in the creek later than usual.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Late-blooming Rose (Rosa acicularis) in Fairbanks
Wild roses typically bloom in June and July, and go dormant when temperatures drop in the fall and winter.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Lots of Late Blooming Roses (Rosa acicularis)
Wild roses usually bloom in May and June, but warm fall temperatures may have signaled roses in Fairbanks to bloom later than usual.
Ester, Alaska, United States

Late Blooming Rose
A wild rose (*Rosa acicularis*) blooms late during a warm fall.
Willow, Alaska, United States

Polar bear chased away with flares after wandering close to a secondary school at Chukotka
The Bear Patrol in is on high alert as predators are gathering by a walrus rookery. At least nine polar bears were noticed by residents of Ryrkaipiy, a village in the easternmost region of Chukotka.
Ryrkaypiy
Siberia Times

Frost Damage Forces Farmers to Buy Hay
Sveinbjörn Þór Sigurðsson of Búvellir farm in Aðaldalur, North Iceland says 80-90% of his hay fields were frozen in spring, and dry weather exacerbated the situation.
Near Húsavík, Northeast, Iceland
Iceland Review

Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) North of Seasonal Range
The northernmost iNaturalist observation (November-March) of Black-crowned Night-Heron (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) in eastern North America.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Twitter

Intensive rain flood and landslide
Storm event brought high winds and flooding and landslides to Ensenada.
Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
Richard L Thoman Jr, María Félix-Lizárraga

'Funky' weather brings late harvest
It was out of habit that Rachel Kukull carried foraging tools while hiking through Chilkat State Park. The custom paid off when she spotted on the forest floor a flash of gold that made her scream. Chanterelles in November!
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

Alders (genus Alnus) Budding Out of Season
Warm temperatures are likely causing alders and other woody Alaskan plants to bud in fall and early winter. As winter sets in, the buds are damaged and the plants will produce fewer buds come spring.
Seldovia, Alaska, United States

Utqiagvik celebrates first whale of season in November
It's been a challenging year for whalers in Utqiagvik. Crews started going out in September, but found the bowheads weren't appearing in their usual concentrations in the waters closer to shore. On the water Nov. 16 Panigiuq Crew landed the first whale of the season for Utqiagvik, later than many people can remember ever bringing one in before.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Arctic Sounder

It’s November, and Southcentral Alaska’s unusually warm fall has some plants putting out spring buds
As much of the Lower 48 braces for frigid weather, Anchorage-area temperatures have run some 13 degrees above normal so far this month.
Anchorage Daily News

Homer man survives bear attack
The man was walking his dogs on a well-used trail when he came across a sow with two cubs, a Fish and Game assistant area wildlife biologist said.
Homer, Alaska, United States

Utqiagvik whalers still hope to land a bowhead as season wanes
Aerial surveys this September and October show the bowheads aren’t where they usually are.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States

Unusually Warm Halloween

Black Currant (Ribes laxiflorum) and Willow (Salix scouleriana) Bushes Are Budding
Willow and currants are budding unusually late, during an unusually warm fall.
Seldovia Village, Alaska, United States

Tree apocalypse in Winnipeg
City deals with impact of early-season snowstorm on roads, energy grid, tree canopy.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Winnipeg Free Press

Vancouver broke a 103-year-old temperature record today
The last time it was this cold was in 1916, with a low temperature of -0.6°C.”
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Daily Hive

Tick, tock: Finland's ticks still thirst for blood
The incidence of ticks at all of Turku University’s research sites in Turku as well as in Helsinki has risen over the past 20 years, and they can still active into the fall, even after periods of freezing weather. Southwestern Finland and Uusimaa have reported 29 cases of tick-borne encephalitis and some 1,500 people have contracted Lyme disease, an illness caused by ticks carrying Borrelia burgdorferi.
Turku, Southwest Finland, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Power restored to 5,500 people after a month's worth of snow hits southern Yukon
Marsh Lake was the hardest hit, but power was out 'all over,' said Jay Massie, manager of ATCO Electric Yukon, 'from Teslin to Tagish, Carcross out to Deep Creek and west towards Haines Junction.'
Marsh Lake, Yukon, Canada
CBC

Late Budding Alder Tree (genus Alnus)
Late budding alder tree.
Chistochina, Alaska, United States

Wind, heavy snow cause power outages, road closures in northern Rockies
Winter storm warnings were posted for parts of western Montana, northern Idaho and northeast Washington. Snow also was forecast for areas in Wyoming, Utah, Oregon, Nevada and California.
Great Falls, Montana, United States
WIBW

Declining Snow and Summer Rain in the Alberni Valley
"During my childhood, Mt. Arrowsmith and surrounding peaks tended to have a fair amount of snow cover; it was into the summer months before it totally disappeared."
Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada

Winter arrives early in Värmland
Winter came to Värmland, Tuesday, with six centimetres of snow falling on higher ground.
Båstad, Skåne län, Sweden
Radio Sweden

Winter Has Come to Russia's Arctic City of Norilsk
Summer seems like it was just yesterday.
Norilsk, Krasnoyarskiy, Russia
The Moscow Times

Migratory birds still sighted as far as southern Finland
Various species can be spotted in different parts of the country till early October due to warm weather in the south.
Hanko, Uusimaa, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Narcissus (Anemone narcissiflora) Blooming in Fall
*Anemone narcissiflora*, which typically blooms in June, is experiencing a second bloom in Hatcher Pass.
Hatcher Pass, Alaska

Svalbard is now experiencing unusually large amounts of ice
The Meteorological Institute (MET) is currently registering an unusual phenomenon around Svalbard, unusually large amounts of sea ice.
Nordaustlandet, Svalbard
abc nyheter

Getting help from Sweden and Denmark for coping with the rains in Fredrikstad
Nearly 1,000 water damages have been reported following the heavy rainfall night to Sunday.
Fredrikstad, Østfold, Norway
NRK

Hundreds of apparently 'flash-frozen' turtles wash ashore in New England
Robert Prescott, of the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, believes a warming trend allowed the turtles to delay their migration south.
Cape Cod, Massachusetts, United States
the Guardian

Open Water Disrupting Winter River Travel
Ice conditions on the Yukon have changed since the 1980's. Now, open water is more common in spots along the river, which impacts winter travel.
Koyukuk, Alaska, United States

Changing winter conditions
This was the warmest autumn on record for western Alaska. Local observer comments on how lack of sea ice is effecting fish and bird behavior.
Golovin, Alaska, United States

Swans trapped in Mundy Pond ice in St. John’s
Two swans are stuck in the ice at Mundy Pond in St. John’s this morning.
City officials were made aware of the situation through calls to 311 and by a pedestrian walking around the pond who flagged down a passing city
Saint John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
The Telegram

Vegetation in Barents Region disturbed by mid-autumn thaw
After frost comes spring, but when it happens in mid-November plants get confused. That is not good news.
Kirkenes, Finnmark Fylke, Norway
The Independent Barents Observer

130+cm of snow has fallen here and winter hasn't even begun
Bundle up, sit by the fire and warm your hot chocolate before reading this. It's only November 12 and one spot in the country has already picked up four and a half feet of snow! And that lucky (or maybe unlucky) winner is...
Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
The Weather Network

Herring (Clupea pallasii) in Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) stomach
Odd time of year for seals to be eating herring.
Haines, Alaska, United States

European aspen still in summer foliage
Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland

Warm weather prompts migratory birds to extend stay in Finland
Unusually mild weather and foggy mornings have caused many migratory birds to delay their departure south, according to Birdlife Finland.
Muhos, Pohjois-Pohjanmaa, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Late blooming iris (Iris setosa) and lowbush cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea)
During fall time, we only hand pick when the blackberries turn brown. As I was picking I saw this wild iris, like it bloomed just a few days ago. I was very awed to see this flower in October.
Toksook Bay, Alaska, United States

Vancouver temperatures hit an all-time record low yesterday
The low temperature in Vancouver hit a chilling 1.6°C, breaking an all-time low that's stood in place since 1937 when temperature gauges hit 2.8°C.
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Daily Hive

Arctic communities won't get crucial supplies after barge cancelled due to excess sea ice
Three Arctic communities fear they've been cut off from crucial winter supplies and other necessities after a government-owned company cancelled an annual barge run.
Paulatuk, Kugluktuk, Cambridge Bay
Global News

'Absolutely abysmal': Alberta farmers lament early arrival of snow in harvest season
Farmers in Edmonton and into northern Alberta, still have plenty of crop out on the fields and the early arrival of winter conditions does not bode well for harvest season.
Gibbons, Alberta, Canada
Edmonton Journal

Prickly Rose (Rosa acicularis) in Bloom WAY Out of Season
Prickly rose plant is blooming when others have gone to hips.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Indian Summer: Unusually Warm September
Unusually warm September temperatures.
Nelson Lagoon, Alaska, United States

Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) mortality from drought stress
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Unalakleet's Fall Storm Aftermath 11/09
Using a hand-held Garmin Montana 650t unit, I took photos of the tideline in three areas.
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States

Unalakleet's Fall Storm Aftermath
I documented my tracks using the Garmin unit adjusting the track setting to log about every 5 feet, which was saved as a GPS Exchange (GPX) Format. From there, I imported the information into Google Earth Desktop as a KML track.
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States

Warm & Rainy Fall Season
The past couple years have been warmer than normal contributing to where the river is still flowing ice and with some of the plants still green.
Lower Kalskag, Alaska, United States

Breathing Fire
As climate change fuels large wildfires, the pollution they're releasing is making Americans sick and undermining decades of progress in cleaning the air.
California to Pacific Northwest, United States
Climate Central

These brown bears should be hibernating, but they’re raiding trash in Eagle River instead
The bears won’t hibernate if food remains available, so the continued availability of trash in the area has created a dangerous situation, biologists say.
Eagle River, Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

Warm Winter Weather Patterns along Kuskokwim River
This is the second year in a row that people from Chuathbaluk are able to use boats (skiffs) on the Kuskokwim River in November.
Chuathbaluk, Alaska, United States

Weather in the Beaufort Delta Just Like Spring
Freda Alunik says it looks 'just like spring' at her camp near the Mackenzie River.
Mackenzie River, Northwest Territory, Canada
CBC News

Late Blooming Flowers
We do not ever recall having flowers blooming this late in the year.
Golovin, Alaska, United States

Why homes along Arctic coastline are at risk of falling into the ocean
"All it would take is one or two big storms and these houses you see behind me would be gravely at risk."
Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC Radio
The Current's Liz Hoath and CBC's Briar Stewart.

Sinking into the sea: N.W.T. coast is eroding, and scientists can't keep up
Government scientists have found an island in the Beaufort Sea that is shedding as much as 40 metres of ground each summer.
Pelly Island, Northwest Territory, Canada
CBC News

Snow Falls In The Sierra Nevada On Summer's Last Full Day
Hurricanes have dominated weather news lately. When it snowed on Thursday in the Sierra Nevada, it not only added a new weather element to the news mix, it got resorts thinking about ski season.
Kirkwood, California, United States
NPR.org

Charting a Path for Churchill to Become a Sustainable Arctic Community
The northern Canadian town of Churchill, Manitoba, may be an early casualty of climate change, but it could become an Arctic sustainability pioneer, says Douglas Clark, an associate professor at the University of Saskatchewan.
Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
Arctic Deeply

Late Bloomer - Wild Rose Enjoying the Fall
Fairbanks rose bush blooming in early September, 2017.

Late Bloomer - Salal / Laughing Berry (Gaultheria shallon)
Late blooming Laughing Berry (*Gaultheria shallon*) in Metlakatla
Metlakatla, Alaska, United States

Assessing the U.S. Climate in September 2017
During September, the average contiguous U.S. temperature was 66.3°F, 1.4°F above average.
Contiguous United States
National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

Bellingham Bay Water Merging
On a field trip with Northwest Indian College Geology class to Chuckanut Drive saw water with apparent difference in color.
Bellingham, Washington

Picking and Eating Blackberries (Rubus armeniacus) in Mid-November in Haida Gwaii

Northern moose migration corresponds with early snow-melt and increased vegetation
Moose and other species have advanced north with warming temperatures. University of Alaska Fairbanks assistant professor of water and environmental research Ken Tape said movement of boreal species into far northern Alaska has corresponded over the last century with earlier snow-melt and river ice out.
Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Healthy Snowfall is Back
Three healthy snowfalls with progessively more snow each time.
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States

Warmer Temperatures Affecting Red Elderberry?
Warmer temperatures during this fall/winter seem to be changing there life cycle.
Wrangell, Alaska, United States

Warm Fall Weather
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Late Freeze-up of Koyuk River
Koyuk River foze solid by Oct-14 by the 28th there was open water.
Koyuk, Alaska, United States

Garry Oak (Quercus garryana) Leaves and Flowers Opening in November
Mount Tolmie, Saanich, BC, Canada

Himalayan Blackberries (Rubus armeniacus) Fruit Second Time
Himalaya blackberry is an introduced, perennial, spreading shrub.
Bellingham, Washington, United States

Sea Ice - No Sea Ice!?
Sea ice is here and then disapears.
Elim, Alaska, United States

First Sight of Snow
Early sighting of snow this year.
Nelson Lagoon, Alaska, United States

Warm Weather Delaying Winter
Winter is near, but, it is unusually nice outside these days.
Evansville, Alaska, United States

Rapid Growth of White Spruce (Picea glauca)
Rapid growth of white spruce over the past three summers observed.
Seldovia, Alaska, United States

Late Sea Ice Freeze Bring Together Seals and Caribou
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Global Warming Pushes Maple Trees, Syrup to the Brink
The polar bear is a powerful symbol of the effects of climate change in the Arctic.  Here in New England, our symbol may soon be the sugar maple tree.
Durham, New Hampshire, United States
National Geographic

Unseasonably Warm
11-13-14 Unseasonable warm - Unalakleet, Alaska, USA

Delayed Winter In Nondalton
11-30-13 Delayed winter - Nondalton, Alaska, USA
Nondalton, Alaska, United States

Starvation killed 80,000 reindeer after unusual Arctic rains cut off the animals’ food supply
Sixty-one thousand reindeer starved to death in the northwestern reaches of the Russian tundra in November 2013 in the largest recorded mortality event of its kind.
Ямало-Ненецкий АО, Russia
Washington Post

Boats Still on the River
11-1-13 Boats still on the river - Koyukuk, Alaska, USA
Koyukuk, Alaska, United States

Warm weather delays subsistence
10-24-13 Warm weather delays subsistence - Shaktoolik, Alaska, USA
Shaktoolik, Alaska, USA

No Ice Fishing Yet
10-17-13 No ice fishing yet - Shishmaref, Alaska, USA
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States

Still No Snow or Yukon River Ice
11-27-12 Still no snow or Yukon ice - Fort Yukon, Alaska, USA
Fort Yukon Alaska, United States

Lake Froze Weird
Aleknagik, November 26, 2012 (ice) Our lake froze weird again this year.
Aleknagik, Alaska, United States

Snow Well Below Normal
Half of what we usually have this time of year.

No Snow on the Seward Peninsula
Despite the time of year, there is still no snow on the Seward Peninsula.
Elim, Alaska, United States

Late Snow Fall
Late snow seasonal snow fall
Koyukuk, Alaska, United States

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