Weather threats on all ends of North America heading into weekend

A mix of spring and summer is on the map as we close out the former — meteorologically speaking — on Saturday. As various items of weather interest swarm North America, Switzerland is coming to terms with a massive glacial collapse on Wednesday.

Weather Watch

Mid-Atlantic storminess. A potent disturbance riding the jet stream pushes into the Mid-Atlantic this afternoon and evening, sparking a severe weather and flash flood threat for Virginia, North Carolina and portions of the surrounding region, including D.C. A risk for scattered flooding exists westward to the Ohio Valley through Friday.

Alvin forms, heading north. The first tropical storm of the season in the eastern Pacific Ocean has eyes on Mexico. Currently a tropical storm with 50 mph sustained wind, Alvin is probably around peak intensity as it tracks toward Baja California in a weakening state. It should deliver some moisture and rainfall into the Southwest and south-central U.S. over time.

Big heat. Redding, in northern California, is forecast to reach 106 on Friday, which would be a record for the date. A two-day scorcher in the west lasts through Saturday before drifting east in diminished form.

Lightning links

Canada fires to carry smoke into US once again.

Swiss village buried by slurry of rock and ice

A stunning and tragic glacial collapse occurred in Blatten, Switzerland on Wednesday. When the dust settled across the mountain valley, a majority of the town of roughly 300 people was left destroyed.

Since then, a formative lake has flooded most of what remained. This is thanks to the slide acting as a natural dam. As can be seen above, a river fed by snowmelt runs through (what remains of) the village.

Fortunately, authorities were monitoring the glacier and expected its imminent failure prior to it happening. When it gave way, the town was under evacuation order, although at least one person was reported missing in the aftermath.

Early estimates indicated at least 10 million tons of rock and ice fell from the mountainside onto the town. I have no idea how to verify that, but that estimate sure seems underdone looking at the scale.

The images are both astounding and hard to fathom. Remains of houses are seen next to a massive pile of debris that towers well above the roofline and extends deep into the horizon.

While snow and rock slides in the mountains are commonplace, and always have been, there’s a strong likelihood this event got an assist through human caused climate change. Glaciers worldwide are in retreat, often quite rapidly.

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Weekday morning newsletter by a journalist/forecaster. Connecting weather and climate change dots while occasionally stirring the pot.

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