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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

Fighting beach erosion on a mangrove island
Workers are using sargassum and sand to rebuild the beach, with shore retention and reef protection in mind.
Long Caye, Belize

Storm brings historic coastal flooding, high winds to Maine
Powerful storm surges, coinciding with the monthly astronomical high tide, are flooding low-lying streets in Portland and other coastal communities.
Portland, Maine, United States
Portland Press Herald

Palisades, Alpine Meadows to open today with fewer lifts running
Palisades and Alpine Meadows ski resorts open with limited lifts after an avalanche at Palisades resulted in one fatality and prompted avalanche warnings in the Sierra backcountry.
Truckee, California, United States
Reno Gazette Journal

Rural Chugach Electric customers deal with 'excessive' winter outages
Chugach Electric acknowledges the high frequency of winter power outages in Cooper Landing and Moose Pass, attributing them to heavy snowfall and considering solutions like local maintenance crews.
Moose Pass, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

El Niño effects around Great Slave Lake made for 'spring-like' December in Łútsël K'é, N.W.T.
El Nino and climate change led to an unusually warm December in Łutsël, N.W.T., affecting Christmas plans and ice-related activities due to Great Slave Lake not freezing over as expected.
Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC

After icy record last week, Kvikkjokk is now Sweden's warmest place
Kvikkjokk was the coldest place in Sweden last Wednesday at with a temperature reaching as low as -43.6 degrees Celsius. But warm northwesterly winds increased the temperatures by about 40 degrees in a matter of hours.
Kvikkjokk, Norrbotten, Sweden

Monitoring underway at N.W.T. archaeological sites threatened by climate change
As the impacts of climate change threaten vital historical sites across the Northwest Territories, the territory's climate change archaeologist is working with communities to mitigate the damage.
Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC

2 found dead in vehicle on Steese Highway near Eagle Summit
Two individuals were found deceased in a vehicle on Steese Highway, with recovery delayed by severe weather; no foul play is suspected.
Steese Highway, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Snow chaos has trapped drivers on E22 – since yesterday
After Wednesday's heavy snowfall, around a thousand cars have been at a standstill on the E22 highway in Skåne since last evening.Police and emergency services encourage those stuck to remain in their vehicles and wait for help.
Malmö, Skåne, Sweden

Body of 12-year-old avalanche victim recovered in Finnish Lapland
A mother and child lost their lives in an avalanche on Tuesday while skiing at Pallastunturi in northwestern Finnish Lapland.
Korsnäs, Ostrobothnia, Finland
News

We've been shoveling snow for over three hours
Several Agder municipalities, including Grimstad, have closed schools for the week due to heavy snowfall, with Sivilforsvaret assisting home services and residents shoveling to maintain access.
Grimstad, Agder, Norway
NRK

Trains cancelled as temperatures hit -44 in northern Sweden
Extreme cold has hit the north of Sweden, with temperatures reaching lower than -40 degrees Celsius in some areas.On Tuesday, train company VY announced that all departures north of Umeå were cancelled until Thursday for safety reasons, due to the cold weather.
Umeå, Västerbotten, Sweden

Powerful earthquakes leave at least 55 dead, destroy buildings along Japan's western coast
Damage was so great that it could not immediately be assessed. Japanese media reports said tens of thousands of homes were destroyed.
輪島市, Ishikawa, Japan
AP News

Govt distributes vaccines to curb FMD outbreak
The Ugandan government distributes vaccines to combat a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak and urges vigilance among farmers in affected districts.
Kikutsi, Isingiro, Uganda

Winter storms close the Yukon's Highway 3 for six days and counting
Yukon's Highway 3 has been closed for six days due to heavy snowfall and challenging conditions, with no clear reopening date.
Haines Junction, Yukon, Canada
CBC

Roof of vacant, condemned Anchorage warehouse partially collapses under snow load
The warehouse at 4640 Gambell St. damaged Wednesday is owned by Marten Martensen, the primary owner of the Continental Auto Group in Anchorage. He was part of a group that purchased the property in October 2022 and briefly used it to store around 10,000 tires until last December’s successive snowstorms caused the structure to begin collapsing.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Grizzly bear spotted close to Kotzebue
While Northwest Arctic residents encounter bears year-round, such sightings are not common in Kotzebue this time of year, Cantine said. Charlie Henry Jr., an Elder from Kotzebue, agreed: “That is so strange — brown bear in the middle part of the coldest months.”
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Orcas are flocking to Southern California waters. One bloody, awe-inspiring spectacle shows why
Whales native to Mexico and Central America are spotted dozens of times from Long Beach to the Palos Verdes Peninsula to Laguna Beach over the last three weeks.
Long Beach, California, United States
Los Angeles Times

'You just want to give up': Pond Inlet hunter swam to qamutik after snowmobile sank through ice
A young Nunavummiut hunter, who's known for providing country food to his community, fell through the ice in late December on a snowmobile route he'd safely traveled just weeks before.
Pond Inlet, Nunavut, Canada

Anchorage Spenard Builders Supply facility suffers major snow-related roof collapse
The Spenard Builders Supply facility in Anchorage suffered a significant roof collapse due to heavy snow, causing no injuries but damaging the structure and nearby utilities.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Chris Klint, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

White Mountains, North Country hit hard by storm that caused flooding, closed roads
A storm caused flooding and road closures in New Hampshire's White Mountains and North Country, with ongoing concerns about rising river levels and dam operations.
Concord, New Hampshire, United States
New Hampshire Public Radio

Tick carrying Lyme disease bacteria found on dog in N.W.T.
A Lyme disease-carrying tick was found on a dog in Fort Simpson, N.W.T., with uncertainty about whether the tick originated locally or from a southern province.
Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, Canada

Dozens of Newtok students attend classes in a school that’s coming apart
Rapid erosion and permafrost degradation mean school district officials are in a race to shore up the building for the remainder of the school year.
Newtok, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Minister Alarmed by Plastic Pollution on Eldey Island
The expedition revealed that gannets have easy access to plastic, as their nests are mostly made from plastic debris. Hundreds of dead gannets were also observed by the experts, with it being estimated that three factors played a role in their deaths: natural attrition, bird flu, and plastic pollution.
Eldey Island
Iceland Review

Rare fin whale found dead near Kodiak
A rare, emaciated fin whale was found dead near Kodiak, Alaska, with the local Sun'aq Tribe conducting a necropsy. There isn’t enough data for biologists to declare a trend yet, but these whales are being found on the heels of an unusual mortality event for gray whales in the Pacific Ocean.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States

52-foot-long dead fin whale washes up on San Diego beach; cause of death unclear
It is not common to see fin whales stranding along the West Coast. The species tends to stay in deeper water compared with gray whales, which travel from 10,000 to 14,000 miles (16,000 to 22,500 kilometers) round trip up and down the coast in annual migrations. There were not obvious signs of the cause of death.
San Diego, California, United States
vancouversun

52-foot-long dead fin whale washes up on San Diego beach; cause of death unclear
A 52-foot fin whale carcass appeared on a San Diego beach with no clear cause of death; it was towed back to sea.
San Diego, California, United States
Associated Press

Thousands of tons of dead sardines wash ashore in northern Japan
The sardines and some mackerel washed ashore in Hakodate on Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido on Thursday morning, creating a sliver blanket along a stretch of beach about a kilometer (0.6 mile) long. Takashi Fujioka, a Hakodate Fisheries Research Institute said the fish may have been chased by larger fish, become exhausted due to a lack of oxygen while moving in a densely packed school, and were washed up by the waves.
Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan
AP News

Mass deaths of elephant seals recorded as bird flu sweeps across the Antarctic
The virus was first reported among brown skua on Bird Island, off South Georgia. Since then, researchers and observers have reported mass deaths of elephant seals, as well as increased deaths of fur seals, kelp gulls and brown skua at several other sites. Researchers warn of one of ‘largest ecological disasters of modern times’ if the highly contagious disease reaches penguin colonies.
South Georgia, Sandwich Islands
the Guardian

Eaglecrest opening delayed again, target date now TBD
Eaglecrest Ski Area's opening is delayed again due to warm weather and rain, with no new target date set for the season start.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Juneau Empire

Kodiak dog tests positive for canine distemper
A dog at the Kodiak Animal Shelter was euthanized after testing positive for canine distemper, leading to a quarantine and a halt on adoptions.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States

250,000 birds euthanized in Petaluma due to bird flu
Avian influenza or “bird flu” is hitting Bay Area poultry farms hard, with a quarter of a million birds euthanized in Sonoma County this week alone. Mike Weber, the co-owner of Sunrise Farms in Petaluma, says around 82,000 of his egg-laying chickens had to be euthanized after birds started testing positive for avian flu.
Petaluma, California, United States

Power restored in Pangnirtung; mayor grateful for ‘community spirit’ during lengthy outage
Things were returning to normal in Pangnirtung on Monday after an extreme winter storm left parts of the community without electricity for close to four days.
Pangnirtung, Nunavut, Canada
Nunatsiaq News

Unseasonably warm temperatures leave winter athletes in Fort Simpson, N.W.T., in the lurch
In Fort Simpson, the weather is still not cold enough to open the community's ice rink. Young athletes in the community say they are struggling to adapt.
Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, Canada

Wolf believed to have killed pet dog in Yellowknife area
A black wolf that was seen travelling between Dettah and Ndilǫ this weekend is believed to have “mauled and killed” a pet dog, according to the N.W.T. Department of Environment and Climate Change.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Experts detonate historic cache of TNT discovered near Tok
Eielson Air Force Base's EOD team safely detonated a historic TNT cache from WWII-era Alaska Highway construction discovered near Tok.
Tok, Alaska, United States

Abundance of seeds on snow
Big snow falls, warm temperatures, and strong winds covers snow surface with a variety of seeds from trees.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Katie Spellman, Mike Brubaker, Lars Flora

Little Diomede city building slides off its foundation, leaving community vulnerable for more damage
A city building in Little Diomede, Alaska, slid off its foundation, threatening the structural integrity of adjacent buildings and critical services, with the community seeking immediate assistance.
Diomede, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Pack of wolves north of Yellowknife reported stalking hikers, pets
The N.W.T. Department of Environment and Climate Change has warned anyone using trails north of Yellowknife to use "extreme caution" after wildlife officers reported a pack of wolves stalking a hiker and their dogs in the area on Saturday.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Wolf expert praises Yellowknife woman for handling of 'not atypical' encounter
A wolf expert commended a Yellowknife woman for her response during a typical encounter with a pack of wolves, advising caution and proper behavior in such situations. "I had hiking poles and I started banging them together and I'm just like 'hey, hey, hey.' I know sometimes dogs respond to deeper voices, so I put my best deep voice on. I started yelling at them."
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Storm erodes shoreline at Shishmaref
A storm caused shoreline erosion in Shishmaref, Alaska, but no evacuations were needed as the new seawall held and damage was minimal.
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Storm erodes shoreline at Shishmaref
High winds that pushed water high up on south facing shores of the Seward Peninsula cause shoreline erosion on the Chukchi Sea coast of Shishmaref, last week.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

A whale the size of an airplane was harvested by hunters in the Chukotka
The Lorino community caught the first bowhead whale in five years.To pull the giant over 17 meters long ashore, all the heavy equipment of the village was needed. According to hunters, this is the third “greenlander” caught in the entire history of the community.
Lorino, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia

1 dead as blizzard bears down on Kivalliq
The storm brought powerful wind gusts to communities in the Kivalliq region that topped 100 km/h and resulted in whiteout conditions. Temperatures fell to -20 C but felt closer to -40 C, factoring in the wind chill, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. Videos and photos posted to social media appeared to show damage to some buildings and other infrastructure, including the roof of Simon Alaittuq Middle School Rankin Inlet.
Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada
Nunatsiaq 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

Bethel SAR warns against Kuskokwim River travel after aerial survey
Bethel Search and Rescue advises against travel on the Kuskokwim River due to dangerous conditions of open water and thin ice identified in their annual aerial survey.
Kuskokwim River, Alaska, United States

At least 3 dead in Wrangell after landslide destroys homes
A landslide in Wrangell, Alaska, killed three people, destroyed homes, and left three missing after heavy rainfall triggered the disaster.
Wrangell, Alaska, United States

Mat-Su schools closed Tuesday after blizzard hits power lines, highways
Mat-Su schools will be closed Tuesday due to a blizzard causing power outages and hazardous driving conditions.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska, United States
Chris Klint, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

An Egret on the Alaska Peninsula
An unusual visitor showed up in King Cove in late November. Shankell Mack was able to get a picture. The great egret is rare sighting anywhere in Alaska.
King's Cove, Alaska, United States

Oil spill tops 1 million gallons, threatens Gulf of Mexico wildlife
A spill from a pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico has released over 1 million gallons of oil, threatening local wildlife and prompting containment efforts.
Gulf of Mexico
Washington Post

With Anchorage schools remote again, another storm hitting Southcentral Alaska
With Anchorage schools remote again due to a 17-inch snowfall and strong winds, another storm is hitting Southcentral Alaska, potentially causing power outages as trees fall on electric lines.
Chris Klint, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

High water around Kotzebue
Above normal temperatures in the month of November followed by a series of storms makes varying ice conditions.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Monday storm again closes Anchorage, Mat-Su schools and state offices
A winter storm in Anchorage and Mat-Su, Alaska has caused closures of state offices, schools, and bus services, with reports of stranded vehicles and accidents, and up to a foot of snow expected in some areas.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska, United States

Bird flu confirmation prompts cull at 10 more fur farms
The Food Authority noted that it might be possible that foxes are more susceptible to avian flu infections than mink. However, the agency also suggested that infection prevention protocols may not have worked as well at fox farms compared to facilities that raise mink. The authority has now confirmed avian influenza cases at a total of 42 fur farms in Finland.
Laihia, Ostrobothnia, Finland
News

Southcentral Alaska schools closed amid snowstorm, power outages
Schools in Southcentral Alaska are closed due to a snowstorm and power outages, with the Seward Highway being deemed "impassable" and numerous vehicles stranded.

18 quakes over 3.0 since midnight - the largest 5.0
Despite the very strong activity, widely felt throughout Reykjanes Peninsula as well as the capital area and beyond, there remains no sign of any volcanic eruption.
Reykjavík, Capital Region, Iceland
RÚV

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