LEO Network

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

Observations

Back-to-back storms cripple business as usual in Nome
Back-to-back blizzards with tons of snow and high winds have hammered Nome since late January and the accumulation of a total of 76 inches of snow is now beginning to take a toll on residents.
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Freezing winds encase house in a shell of ice
Strong winds and freezing temperatures left an upstate New York lake house encased in a shell of ice.
Lake Ontario, Ont., Canada
CNN

‘Februburied’: Record snowfall stacks up in Sierra Nevada at Truckee Tahoe resorts
The snow began falling in early February and hardly let up until the last day of the month, setting records at local ski resorts and causing havoc across the
Truckee, California, United States
Sierra Sun

Dry Creek at Harrison Island
Harrison Island, Haida Gwaii

Southern Hemisphere Hoodwinker Sunfish Washes Up in California
Rare hoodwinker sunfish, never before seen in Northern Hemisphere, washes up at Coal Oil Point Reserve
Isla Vista, California, United States
The UCSB Current

Train on Trans-Siberian railway goes through wall of fire from grass and forest inferno
Wildfires ablaze early in year due to lack of snow, posing threat to railway in Russian Far East.
Vladivostok, Primorskiy, Russia
Siberia Times

Squaw sets February snowfall record
The latest storm to hit the Truckee-Tahoe area dropped another 30 inches of snow at Squaw Valley’s upper mountain, breaking the record at the resort for most snowfall in February. This month, Squaw Valley has been hit with 205 inches of snow at its upper mountain and more is currently coming down. The previous record…
Squaw Valley, California, United States
Sierra Sun

Capelin Stocks In Poor Shape
As a result, the Marine and Freshwater Research Institute (MFRI) will not permit fishing of the species this coming season. Capelin is the second most important export species of fish in Iceland after cod.
Reykjavík, Capital Region, Iceland
Iceland Review

Eagle preys on duck on Saanich Peninsula
‘I’ve never seen that before in my life’
North Saanich, British Columbia, Canada
Victoria News

Arctic Char Population Rapidly Declining
The stock of arctic char in Elliðavatn lake has almost collapsed. Similar developments are taking place in Norway as well. Hilmar Malmquist, head of the freshwater division at the Marine Research Institute, believe that climate change is the main explanation.
Kopavogur, Capital Region, Iceland
RÚV

Storm Rages Across Iceland
Storms affecting most of the country, particularly Southeast and East Iceland, have damaged property and put travellers in danger. According to the Icelandic Met Office, storm conditions are expected to continue into the evening. Residents and tourists alike are advised against travelling in the affected areas. Search and rescue called out Search and rescue teams […]
Hornafjörður, Austurland, Iceland
Iceland Review

White-tailed eagles congregate in Vaasa as habitats shrink
The WWF and locals report sightings of 10-15 eagles at a time in western Finland.
Vaasa, Ostrobothnia, Finland
Yle Uutiset

30 year temperature record broken
Warm temperatures break 30 year record.
Svelgen, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
NRK Sogn- og Fjordane

Walls of ice bulldoze ashore from Lake Erie
Extreme winds from a huge weekend storm over the Great Lakes pushed huge walls of ice on the shores of Lake Erie.
Hoover Beach, New York, United States
CNN

Snake has woken early from winter hibernation
Snake wakens early from winter sleep. He is a sure spring sign, but is not happy in February. If you see a viper at this time of year, then there may be several snakes in the vicinity.
Berle, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
NRK Sogn- og Fjordane

Roundheaded Wood Borer

That ice was 3300 years old. And now it melts
Thousands of years old ice disappears all over Norway. Dag Inge Bakke (42) is among those struggling to save the frozen archive of the past.
Galdhøpiggen, Oppland, Norway
NRK Norsk Rikskringkasting

Two Banff National Park wolf packs likely decimated by trapping
‘There’s a really high likelihood that the pack is just gone altogether’
Banff National Park
The Narwhal

Temperatures in Northern Finland to soar 40 degrees in one day
There are no records to indicate the last time there was such a radical temperature change in a 24-hour period.
Muonio, Lapland, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) Entering Breeding Grounds Early
Swans have arrived early in Southeast Alaska this year, with most lakes still frozen and no green grass anywhere. Most lakes are frozen; the swan is sticking to a small patch of water surrounded by ice.
Metlakatla, Alaska, United States

Residents of Smog-Hit Russian Town Sue Over Health Complications
Locals blamed a mining company for attempting to hide what they called an 'ecological tragedy.'
Sibay, Bashkortostan, Russia
The Moscow Times

Lots of Female King Crabs (Paralithodes camtschaticus)
Large number of Red King Crabs (*Paralithodes camtschaticus*) found on the beach during an extreme low tide. According to fisheries researchers, crabs move to shallow water to hatch and release eggs.
Juneau, Alaska, United States

Early Reports of Black and Brown Bear
Brown bear spotted on Kupreanof Island for the first time.
Kake, Alaska, United States

Spring flowers bloom very early
The winter holiday offers 15 degrees (C) of heat and spring flowers.
Lavik, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Company) Sogn og Fjordane

Weather and wildlife changes
Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana

One Small Colorado Town Ran Out Of Water. How Did It Happen?
One morning in mid-February, David Herz went to turn on the faucet in his farmhouse outside the small western Colorado town of Paonia, and nothing came…
Paonia, Colorado, United States
KUNC

Ash turns Siberia snow black triggering acute pollution concerns from locals
Blame for pollution is focused on failure of coal plant to filter emissions.
Прокопьевский, Кемеровская область, Russia
Siberia Times

Unusual Flooding in February
A warm winter storm leads to sea ice loss and flooding of homes in Western Alaska. "Damage to the foundation of the homes is all I think happened, besides wet clothing and a few things on the floor."
Kotlik, Alaska, United States

Snow closes Haleakala National Park and creates social media buzz
Snow on Haleakala?
Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Coastal Flood Advisory
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States
Olivia Lee, Richard L Thoman Jr, John Henry

Leads in Ice After Warm Storm
Leads appeared following a warm storm, in areas with usually stable, shorefast ice. The leads separate many crabbers from their pots, and are illustrative of how Norton Sound's recent erratic sea ice patterns are altering subsistence opportunities and patterns.
Nome, Alaska, United States

A 'invasion’ of polar bears is terrorizing an island town in Russia
Thinning sea ice has driven more than 50 polar bears ashore on an Arctic archipelago in northern Russia, causing chaos for the local population.
Rogachëvo, Arkhangelskaya, Russia
Anchorage Daily News

‘Historic’ storm hurls huge waves and 191 mph winds at Hawaii. Rare snow hits Maui.
Snow may have fallen at the lowest elevation ever observed in the state.
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Snow on Haleakala
Launiupoko, Hawaii, United States

Alaska biologist report increased sighting of mink in Kodiak
KODIAK, Alaska (AP) — Sightings of mink are increasing around Kodiak, Alaska wildlife biologists said of the animal — a species not native to the area. The first sighting was several years ago, the Kodiak Daily Mirror reported . Alaska Department of Fish and Game wildlife biologist John Crye said the sightings began after he got a call from an individual who was interested in raising and farming the animals.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States
AP NEWS

Extreme rain reactivates waterfall
Deadly floods in northern Chile left homes and roads destroyed.
Atacama Desert, Chile
BBC News

Yukon ice cave definitely changing geologist says
The spectacular natural formation near Haines Junction has become a big draw for visitors.
Haines Junction, Yukon, Canada
CBC

Swordfish becoming much more common in Vesterålen
n 52 years, 36 observations of the species have been recorded in Norway. This one included.
Sortland, Nordland, Norway
NRK

Botulism cases reported in Nome
Public health officials confirmed that four Nome residents had been hospitalized in early January with preliminary results pointing to poising from foodborne type E botulism from an aged beluga flipper.
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

We get warmer and warmer later in the year
In Etne in Hordaland, 30.4 degrees of heat were measured at 15 today. Never has it been so hot so late in the year in Norway.
Etne, Hordaland, Norway
NRK
Oddleif Løset, Birger Kolsrud Jåsund and Geir Bjarte Hjetland

Rainbow Smelt (Osmerus mordax) With Bad Odor and Taste
The smelt, caught through the ice in late January, may have caused a person who ate some to get sick. Local, tribal and state officials worked together to collect and analyze the fish.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States
Gay Sheffield, Bob Gerlach, Percy Nayokpuk, Jayde Ferguson, Anahma Shannon, Louisa Castrodale, Racheal Lee, Tim Thomas, Sharon Nayokpuk, David Verbrugge, Mike Brubaker

72 dead baby sharks removed from dead pregnant shark during necropsy at Coles Bay
Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the University of Victoria’s Juanes Laboratory think the shark came into shallow water to give birth and potentially had complications, as there are no signs of trauma.
Coles Bay, Saanich, BC

Icebergs and Open Sea
Very strong south winds took out all the sea ice and created an ice pile in front of the village.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States
Andrew Kakoona, Olivia Lee, Sharon Nayokpuk

Eagle Sighting
Eagle sighting during winter in Western Alaska.
Kongiganak, Alaska, United States

Pregnant shark washes up on Vancouver Island shoreline
The carcass of a nearly four-metre-long bluntnose sixgill shark was found on Coles Bay Tuesday.
North Saanich, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Island

Pregnant Bluntnose Sixgill Shark (Hexanchus griseus) in Coles Bay
A pregnant bluntnose sixgill shark found on the banks of Coles Bay may have come in to shallow water to give birth and died from complications.
Cole Bay, British Columbia, Canada

Heavy snowfall stalls inter-city trains until Thursday
The state rail company VR has said that it will substitute buses on some of the cancelled rail trips.
Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Yukon ice conditions unusual this year, says snowmobile association
'This year especially there's been lots of reports of thin ice and open water in places where there hasn't been in previous years,' said James Connor of the Klondike Snowmobile Association.
Drury Lake, Yukon
CBC

Australians could find crocodiles, snakes in ‘unexpected places’ after floods, officials warn
Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Washington Post

Black bear wandering around Kincaid Park in the middle of winter? Here’s why.
If high temperatures melt snow and that leads to a bear’s den getting flooded, that’s another reason the bear might head outside. It’ll likely try to find another den, Farley said.
Kinkaid Park
Anchorage Daily News

Extended Cold Snap
The capital area, along with most of Iceland, has experienced constant below-freezing temperatures for a couple of weeks now.
Reykjavík, Capital Region, Iceland
RÚV

Record cold damages grape buds in Essex County
Two record cold nights have damaged grape buds in Essex County with Merlot, Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc particularly at risk.
Essex County, Ontario
Windsor Star

More snow to hit Sweden after temperatures drop to new record cold
The weather station in Nikkaluokta recorded a frigid -39.5C, setting the record for the lowest temperature of the winter.
Nikkaluokta, Norrbotten, Sweden
thelocal.se

Chilean scientists discover mass die-off of krill in Antarctica
The scientific literature indicates that, in general, crustacean wash ashore due to hypoxia (low oxygen) or to phenomena such as excess sediment in suspension and changes in water temperature.
Antarctica
Fish Information & Services

Deep freeze hits area
MARQUETTE — In light of the bitterly cold air and wind chills falling far below zero, all Michigan state offices are closed today, and the U.S. Postal Service
Ishpeming, Michigan, United States
miningjournal.net

Reported wolverine sightings are up, says N.W.T. gov
Last week, in the wee hours of the morning, a curious wolverine was caught on camera wandering the hallway to a dormitory at Diavik Diamond Mine.
Northwest Territories
CBC

Midwest Freeze Cancels Flights, Even Stops the Mail
Chicago, Illinois, United States
NBC News

Pale Green Waters Spell Danger
When the green water is here, its dangerous to travel straight across the Lagoon to White Mountain. In the past we took the land route, cross on Kitchavik river and on up over land to White Mountain.
Golovin, Alaska, United States

Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) Spotted Walking with Cubs in Mid-Winter
Weather had been pouring rain and 45-degree temps for several days leading up to the sighting.
Haines, Alaska, United States

Rising sea levels could kill off 500-year-old trees in New Jersey forest
Dark water formed an eddy around Steve Eisenhauer's boots as they sank into the muck at the base of a 90-foot black gum tree so old, its roots were deep in this ground when the Pilgrims landed.
Bear Swamp, Cedarville, New Jersey, United States
Phys.org

Brown Bear Awake in January
Hungry and looking for food, where it was last fall. Very warm 40 degrees and rain. I'm sure it disturbed his hibernation.
Pedro Bay, Alaska, United States

Large Number of Redpolls (Acanthis)
Fox, Alaska, United States

Invasion of redpolls sends seeds flying
After a record-low last winter, the birds are making a comeback. Redpolls, seen in two varieties in Alaska — the common and the hoary — have attracted scientists’ attention because the birds survive super-cold temperatures. Physiologist Laurence Irving ranked redpolls’ feathers just behind pine grosbeaks for “apparent usefulness for insulation.”Redpolls have a secret weapon other small birds, including chickadees, don’t possess: food pouches on each side of their necks.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Driver badly hurt when falling rock hits car on Seward Highway
Authorities warned that drivers should use caution in the area due to the potential for additional rockslides.

Across Australia, Yet Another Scorching Summer
Australia’s heat waves, now an annual ordeal, have been expanding into new territory — like Tasmania, where more than 50 wildfires were burning as of Friday.
Australia
New York Times

Another Sand Point fisherman is chomped on by a sea lion
The third such bite in two years prompted a police warning in the Aleutian Islands town.
Sand Point, Alaska, United States

Rare Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Spotted in Western P.E.I.
A woman who put bird seed out in her yard in St. Chrysostome, in western P.E.I., was thrilled she ended up attracting a rare bird.
Saint Chrysostome, Prince Edward Island, Canada

A coyote attracts attention in Anchorage
A Fish and Game biologist urges people to give the animals space.

Yukon Quest's route shortened this year because of lack of snow
For safety dogs and mushers will be trucked from Braeburn to Carmacks.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Uncommon: reports of 2 wolves in town of Norman Wells
Officers received four separate calls in 48 hours from Sunday to Monday. The wolves were quite active, quite brazen, coming out in the daylight hours right in residential areas. One resident had a dog encounter with one of the wolves but was not harmed.
Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, Canada

Alaska man kills polar bear that strayed from its usual habitat
Jim Hollandsworth of Arctic Village said he encountered the bear in early January. He said the bear had tried to get into his cabin about 32 kilometers from the village.
Arctic Village, Alaska, United States

Extreme wet January displaces thousands and floods farmland in Mercosur member countries
Intense rainfall in northeast Argentina and neighbouring areas in Mercosur members has caused devastating floods, amplifying the economic burdens of Argentina's recession. Over 5,000 people have evacuated the region, and millions of hectares of crops have been sent underwater.
Mercosur member countries
MercoPress

‘A sad day’: two more B.C. mountain caribou herds now locally extinct
The Kootenay populations, a fixture on the landscape for thousands of years, succumbed to industrial disturbances and other human activity in their critical habitat.
Salmo, British Columbia, Canada
The Narwhal

Another bad year for sargassum seaweed forecast for Quintana Roo
Large quantities of sargassum are likely to wash up on the beaches of Mexico’s Caribbean coast in 2019, according to a researcher.
Atlantic Ocean
Mexico News Daily

Four dead, thousands evacuated in north Argentina floods
Heavy rainfall breaks local and regional records, as provincial governments in the Litoral region struggle to
Paso de los Libres, Corrientes Province, Argentina
Buenos Aires Times

State investigates Prudhoe Bay wells after a second North Slope well ‘jacked up’ and leaked oil and gas
The incident appears similar to an oil and gas release in 2017 blamed on thawing permafrost and hot production fluids.
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States

Russian military sent to assess giant rockfall blocking Bureya River
Urgent measures underway to evacuate residents of remote villages after flood threat caused by rising water above new ‘dam’.
село Усть-Ургал, Верхнебуреинский район, Хабаровский край, Russia
Siberia Times

Freeze already! Hopes sinking for Dawson City ice bridge, despite cold snap
Normal ice build up not occurring. It seems like the ice along the shoreline is not moving into the river.
Dawson City, Yukon, Canada

Wind blew asphalt off road
Wednesday night’s storm in North Iceland brought exceptionally warm air and extreme wind conditions. The small village of Borgarfjörður eystri, in the north of the East Fjords, suffered damage that included asphalt blowing off a paved road surface.
Bakkagerdi, East, Iceland
RÚV

Sinkholes in parking lot - earthquake aftermath?
It has been a month since the 7.0 earthquake in Anchorage. Are these sinkholes which suddenly appeared related?
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Sea lions survive with the help of Kamchatka residents
Sea lions have been pushed to come closer town because of marine pollution and over fishing, and now they are eating the scraps from the fish processing plant.
Петропавловск-Камчатский, Kamchatka, Russia
РЕН ТВ

3 wildfires reported in Fort Liard area
'These fires can then pop back up in the spring when conditions warm up,' says the environment department. A local crew will likely extinguish the fires by Monday.
Fort Liard, Northwest Territories, Canada

Windstorm and Widespread Forest Blowdown
Damage assessment underway due to fallen trees, hanging debris
Whisky Creek, British Columbia
Port Alberni Valley News

Wolves are preying on dogs in Old Crow
Wolves don't typically linger around the community, they're hungry because the caribou are all in Alaska right now. There's also little snow around Old Crow so it may be harder for wolves to hunt moose. About ten dogs have been killed.
Old Crow, Yukon, Canada

East Iceland hit 18 degrees yesterday
Genuine summertime temperatures were recorded in East Iceland yesterday. The warmest place was Dalatangi, which reached 18°C. Not far behind was Bjarnarey on 17.8°C and Eskifjörður recorded 16.6°C.
Dalatangi, Iceland

Possible Alaska Hare (Lepus othus) Tracks
Strange tracks between Pilot Point and Ugashik, found near the river may belong to an Alaska hare (*Lepus othus*)
Pilot Point, Alaska, United States
Wilson Justin, Dave Crowley, Gregory Kingsley

Amid environmental grief, finding hope in a graveyard of yellow cedar
One ecologist wonders, for the yellow cedar forests and the people who care about them, what comes after climate change and environmental loss in Southeast Alaska?
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Elizabeth Jenkins, Alaska's Energy Desk - Juneau

A jellyfish ‘epidemic’ has Australian scientists wondering if climate change is to be blamed
More than 13,000 stings were recorded in Queensland alone last week, with more than 2,500 people seeking treatment over the weekend, according to rescue organizations.
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
BostonGlobe.com

Wandering seals swarm streets of Newfoundland town
Officials are warning residents in Roddickton, Newfoundland to keep their distance from seals that have wandered into town.
According to resident Brendon Fitzpatrick, some have crawled 6 to 8 km away from the ocean.
Roddickton, Newfoundland, Canada
The Weather Network

Thousands of Queensland beachgoers stung by swarm of jellyfish
Surf Life Saving Queensland said a “whopping” 3,595 people were stung by jellyfish, forcing the closure of popular swimming spots across the northern state. Lifeguards said the invasion was caused by unusually strong north-easterly winds.
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
The Independent

Decline of mountain bird populations
Some species have experienced a much greater decline than average. For the snowflake in Scandinavia there is talk of approx. 35 percent, patchwork 25 percent.
Vadsø, Finnmark Fylke, Norway
NRK, Norwegian Broadcasting Company

5 dogs attacked by lynx in Inuvik since late November, says official
Lynx have attacked five dogs in Inuvik since late November, a trend a local wildlife officer calls surprising. The behaviour is unusual since lynx are typically reclusive animals and don't usually come into inhabited areas.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada

Delhi air pollution surges to emergency levels
Air quality index at 12 times US government-recommended level and visibility low
Delhi, NCT, India
the Guardian

Residents along Lake Erie spending thousands to protect homes from erosion
An Amherstburg couple has been dealing with shoreline erosion along their waterfront property, and they've invested thousands of dollars in an effort to protect it.
Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada

Strong winter storm batters Finland, causing power cuts, traffic delays
Record wind speeds have been clocked in southern maritime districts as a storm dubbed Aapeli causes widespread power cuts and train delays across Finland.
Tampere, Pirkanmaa, Finland

First ever winter sighting of blue-green algae in Gulf of Finland
In the frigid waters of the Gulf of Finland, cyanobacteria has been observed for the first time during the winter months.
Pernå, Uusimaa, Finland

Support

Observation Template